Alonso, Rolfes and Co.
These are the faces of Leverkusen’s championship success
Bayer Leverkusen ended FC Bayern Munich's eleven-year title run on Sunday and became German soccer champions for the first time. There are many faces behind this success, both on and off the pitch. A selection:
Xabi Alonso: The coach is the club's best-known face, the man behind the success. With his aura of a man of the world, he is respected and loved by everyone, even his opponents. Alonso's mantra is to meet "everyone at eye level". The Spaniard thinks about soccer virtually 24 hours a day, studies opponents late into the night and is a keen participant in training. Nevertheless, the father of three is very family-oriented. His family always plays a major role in his future decisions, he needs them around him. His first greeting after every game is to his wife in the stands.
Fernando Carro: Born in Barcelona, Carro first came into contact with soccer when former Austrian star striker Hans Krankl moved to Barça in 1978. Carro's mother was the Spanish teacher of Krankl's wife Inge. The families became friends. Carro's mother also taught the German coach Udo Lattek. While studying industrial engineering in Austria, Carro lived with the Krankl family and worked as a sports journalist on the side. In 1993, he joined Bertelsmann and held several managerial positions. In April 2018, he became club boss at Leverkusen and made titles his goal from day one.
Simon Rolfes: Leverkusen's honorary captain matured quietly alongside Rudi Völler and took over his position as Sports Managing Director in the summer of 2022. After his career, the former international initially worked as a ZDF pundit and managing director of a goal-line technology company. In interviews, the youngest of four teacher sons and father of three daughters is always charming, but also reserved. Public announcements are not his thing. But his work is appreciated throughout Europe. According to Carro, he signed all five players at the top of the transfer list in the summer.
Lukas Hradecky: The goalkeeper is the captain of the team and an important element for the internal climate. The Bratislava-born Finn also likes to publicly flirt with his drinking strength. "I don't need an excuse to have a drink," he replied after the 3-0 win against Bayern when asked whether he was now going to celebrate carnival. After a dip in form the previous year, he played an absolutely solid season.
Jonathan Tah: Born in Hamburg, he has been playing for Bayer since 2015. After often flirting with a move in recent years, he has now experienced an unexpected boom. A clear defensive leader, a regular in the national team - the central defender with the impressive physique played a big part in Bayer having the best defense. His word also carries weight off the pitch.
Granit Xhaka: The 31-year-old is the unqualified leader of the team. In Gladbach and his early days at Arsenal, he also stood out as a defiant player, but has matured immensely. The record-breaking Swiss international sets the pace and tempo on the pitch, is an important anchor for young players and gives incisive and witty interviews.
Jeremie Frimpong: The Dutch full-back with a great offensive drive is one of the fastest players in the league. The 1.71-meter player, who was trained at Manchester City, is being chased by top European clubs, especially from England, but also by FC Bayern. After disagreements with Bonds coach Ronald Koeman, he made the leap to national player in the squad of the ÖFB's European Championship opponents in the fall.
Alejandro Grimaldo: Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeneß praised Leverkusen for Grimaldo's transfer in February because "nobody knew him before". This is a clear misjudgement, as the FC Barcelona-trained full-back and free-kick specialist regularly played in the Champions League with Benfica Lisbon. However, he only made the leap into the Spanish national team at the age of 28 via Leverkusen.
Florian Wirtz: The attacking player stormed into the Bundesliga at 17. After a cruciate ligament rupture slowed him down in March 2022, he made a big impact this season and especially in the second half of the season. Wirtz became a regular in the national team and the Bundesliga professional with the highest market value. He plays with the smallest possible shin guards, and only because it is forbidden to wear them. He is the youngest of ten children.
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