A tribute to an incredible team

On this 26 October in 2022, Bayer 04 are away to Atlético Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano on matchday five in the group stage of the Champions League. A defeat and the Werkself would have no chance of finishing third and progressing to the Europa League. But Bayer 04 fight to the end. They secure a 2-2 draw and celebrate after the final whistle.

However: VAR intervenes in the last move of the game from a corner and a penalty is awarded for handball by Piero Hincapie. Carrasco steps up on 99 minutes and – Lukas Hradecky saves, following header hits the bar and a shot on the rebound is cleared off the line. The Werkself frenetically celebrate the point and a week later qualify for the Europa League with a goalless draw against Club Brugge.

Without the penalty save there would be no games in the Europa League against AS Monaco with the win on penalties, no Ferencváros, no euphoria in the games against Union St. Gilloise and no hope in the two semi-finals against AS Roma.

But the exit against the Romans last season provides inspiration for the team, who ensured a place in the Europa League again in 2023/24 thanks to a win for already relegated Hertha Berlin away to VfL Wolfsburg, and they want to take the next step as do the fans with euphoria and an incredible desire for a trophy building up.

There is a spirit of optimism in and around Leverkusen ahead of the first matchday that I have never seen before in my 40 years at Bayer. The home game against RB Leipzig is sold out. The home games against the two promoted clubs Darmstadt 98 and FC Heidenheim are also sold out. And all that before the first ball is kicked in the new season. Matchday four brings the clash with the champions of Germany at the Allianz Arena in Munich with an equaliser from the penalty spot in added time. The first goal in added time. And nobody had any idea of how many would follow.

Xabi Alonso and his fellow coaches create an atmosphere in and around the team that is palpable in every seat at the BayArena. And the fans are on board. The fluency of the way our team plays, the belief of the fans in the team, the way Bayer 04 supporters suddenly fill all the away ends making staff at ticket offices at other Bundesliga clubs rub their eyes in disbelief, how the North Stand at the BayArena suddenly develops into a North East South West end and the whole stadium supports the team is clear to me in three matches:

The home win against Bayern Munich that strengthens the feeling in all of us that something will happen this year.

The incredible game against Qarabag where our team suffers a blow going 2-0 down on 67 minutes only for the whole stadium to get behind the Werkself and drive them forward to turn the game around in added time.

And two weeks later the home win against Hoffenheim where the equaliser on 88 minutes saw not only the players wanting more but also all the fans. And the collective joy after making it 2-1 in added time.

The belief in really achieving something comes to the team – but also with the necessary humility and respect ahead of the next match and the next opponents. And the Bayer 04 fans are onside. Always seeing the next game as the most important regardless of what happens after that. Thinking in blocks as the coach does. And the reward comes.

When Werder Bremen are beaten 5-0 at the BayArena on 14 April 2024 and a dream comes true for all Bayer 04 fans, there are lots of tears and the day will never be forgotten. Finally champions! Incredible feelings of happiness!

And there's more. The Werkself gain revenge against AS Roma in the semi-finals of the Europa League after the exit the previous year. The course en route to the final is set with a 2-0 victory in the Eternal City. And nobody is really nervous when the Romans take a 2-0 lead in the second leg. And the team not only pull a goal back but Josip Stanisic nets an equaliser at 2-2 – in added time of course. Through to the final. The Werkself are in the final of a European tournament for the third time after 1988 and 2002.

It is a pity that Bayer 04 suffer the first defeat in match number 52 of the season against Atalanta. But the opposition were actually the better side on that day in Dublin – and the team under coach Xabi Alonso know that too and are good losers after the 3-0 defeat. But there is a good reason to celebrate again just three days later with a 1-0 win against FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal final. The second trophy. Double winners. Incredible! The cup is back in Leverkusen. 31 years after lifting the Pokal for the first time. The celebrations the next day under the Cross are unique. The atmosphere incredible. On 26 May, I am one of tens of thousands who are all deeply moved. Sheer joy is to be felt by everybody. They are proud of their Bayer.

I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for an incredible time that you, dear team, will probably only really realise in 25 years time when you meet up to celebrate the anniversary. I still don't understand what happened this season. Thank you for the way you act as a team and as a group. And how you give us fans the feeling that you are like us.

Thank you for making our dream come true.