Bayer Leverkusen is determined to build on their remarkable achievements from last season, where they secured an unbeaten league and cup double. They will begin the 2024-25 Bundesliga season with a match against local rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday.
Xabi Alonso’s team is widely regarded as a strong contender to become the first side to win consecutive Bundesliga titles since Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in 2012. Despite Bayern Munich’s significant spending and strong performances from Dortmund and RB Leipzig, Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella is confident that his team can deliver another exceptional season.
“There are no rules saying we can’t do any of this. It’s just down to us and how we apply ourselves in the season.”
Speaking with AFP at Leverkusen’s pre-season training camp in the Black Forest village of Donaueschingen, Tella said: “There’s no reason why we can’t defend the title”.
“We’ve seen Bayern do it for so many years. Why can’t we do something similar to that?
“There’s no limit to what we can achieve. Last year, no-one believed in us and at the end of the season we were undefeated champions.
“Being a part of this team, anything is possible.”
Nathan Tella’s confident remarks contrast sharply with the previous season, when Leverkusen was often derided as ‘Neverkusen’ for repeatedly finishing second in the league.
Leverkusen’s 2024-25 season has begun strongly, with a dramatic 88th-minute equalizer from striker Patrik Schick in Saturday’s Super Cup against Stuttgart, followed by a victory in the penalty shootout.
Last season’s success, including their Europa League final run, was marked by crucial late goals, showcasing their resilience.
Leverkusen’s summer training took place at the same venue where Spain’s Euro 2024 campaign was launched just a month earlier. When asked if they could benefit from Spain’s success, Tella insisted that Leverkusen has its own source of inspiration. He credited their midfield maestro, Florian Wirtz, with much of last season’s magic.
Despite interest from top European clubs, Leverkusen retained Wirtz and the rest of their squad. Coach Xabi Alonso has also committed to another season with Leverkusen, despite overtures from former clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. According to Granit Xhaka, Alonso’s decision to stay is driven by his belief in the team’s ability to replicate last season’s success.
Bayern Munich’s long-standing dominance in the Bundesliga has been driven by an unrelenting pursuit of improvement, even when they are at the top. Similarly, Leverkusen, after a remarkable campaign that saw them secure their first Bundesliga title, is not resting on its laurels.
Xabi Alonso, a seasoned winner from his playing days, emphasized the need for growth and adaptation during pre-season training. He noted that the outstanding level of performance from last season “probably wouldn’t be enough” this time around.
Alonso stressed the importance of evolving and enhancing their game: “We have many fundamentals. We need to add something, update it, incorporate other elements. We have to evolve and improve.”
Midfielder Granit Xhaka, who joined Leverkusen from England before last season, echoed Alonso’s sentiment. Xhaka, who played more minutes than any other outfield player last season, believes in continuous improvement: “I agree with the coach because if there’s one guy who knows, it’s him.
If you want to improve year after year, you have to improve year by year. You need to not just look at the good things, but the bad things as well.”
Nathan Tella, who joined Leverkusen after a 17-goal season with Burnley, contributed significantly with seven goals and six assists as the team aimed for a remarkable treble.
The winger, who earned a call-up to the Nigeria national team, acknowledged the club’s commitment to setting and exceeding high standards: “The coach said we’re not at that level yet. That means we have something to work towards to improve. The standards we set last year were so high, almost unbelievable. We want to get close to it again, if not beat those standards.”
