Bayer Leverkusen wants to consolidate itself as a European power; understand

Great sensation of the current European football season, the Bayer Leverkusen has been unbeaten for 47 games, winning the Bundesliga and with one foot guaranteed in the grand final of Europa Leagueafter winning 2-0 against Pomegranate in the semi-finals. Now, the team Xabi Alonso wants to start consolidating itself once and for all as one of the main sports powers on the Old Continent.

Three weeks ago, Leverkusen secured their first league title German Championship, ending the nickname “Neverkusen”, which was given to the club for never having actually won the national trophy. With this historic feat, Bayer ended Bayer’s 11-year dynasty. Bayern Munchen. The achievement crowned the great work that Alonso has been doing with the team, and even though he is still young and in his first full job as a coach, the former Spanish midfielder managed to free the team from relegation last season, gaining carte blanche to develop a new style. game, implement a working method and lead the reformulation process.

To really understand the scale of Leverkusen’s achievement, it is necessary to understand the panorama in which the Bundesliga finds itself. Since 2013, Bayern Munich has maintained a dynasty. For example, in 2022/23, the Borussia Dortmund They finished the competition with the same number of points as their rivals, but let the trophy slip away due to goal difference. In 2020/21, the RB Leipzig he had also tried to defeat the Bavarians, but failed.

The financial point of view is another important point. During last season, the 36 clubs in Germany’s top two divisions recorded record revenue. According to data provided by German Football League, revenue was €5.24 billion (R$28.62 billion). Furthermore, ticket sales almost doubled and reached €536.5 million (around R$2.9 billion), while marketing achieved profits of €1.52 billion (R$8.3 billion).

With the growth in revenue, the teams increased their purchasing power, making investment in the squad one of the key points in Leverkusen’s campaign for the unprecedented title. With the trust of the directors, Xabi Alonso gained autonomy to look for pieces that fit his style of play. The signings of the experienced midfielder Granit Xhakafor €25 million (R$136 million) with the Arsenaland from the side Grimaldowhich was in Benfica and finished the season as the championship’s assist leader, show the strength with which Bayer acted in the market. The search for the title was also an attraction in the final stretch of the championship, arousing the interest of the Brazilian public. The current season featured numerous broadcast options, with all recording significant audience numbers.