#RoadtoGlasgow – Lußem on 2001/02: ‘Top spot in the ranking’

Frank, the game against Arsenal was the first match for Bayer 04 against an English team. A lot of the members of the team back then were delighted at finally being able to play in Britain. How great was your excitement?

Lußem: Rather restrained to be honest. To me the whole group was simply too difficult. Juve, Arsenal, Deportivo – they were tough challenges and I couldn't imagine Bayer would pick up enough points against those teams to reach the quarter-finals and definitely not against Arsenal.

When was your first time at a match in England?

Lußem: My first game in England was in 2002. I had to miss Euro 1996 for health reasons and there was nothing before or after that. Nevertheless, I was in Glasgow with FC Köln and Bayer. And that's completely different from England. Whether it's Ibrox or Hampden – it's incredible there.

Arsenal came to Leverkusen as the runners-up in England and the team had lots of French players.

Lußem: And the Gunners also had a French coach in Arsène Wenger. A strong team that placed great value on playing football – almost celebrating it.

Who you think was the best player in this ‘French Connection’?

Lußem: Patrick Vieira, without a doubt. A world-class tactician who dominated challenges and always thought two or three moves ahead. A wonderful football player.

Arsenal were an interesting team in any case with illustrious players like the 38-year-old David Seaman in goal or Dennis Bergkamp with his fear of flying...

Lußem: Seaman definitely was one of the better keepers in the difficult history of English goalies although he was always capable of making a boob. Dennis Bergkamp was simply a genius. Just his goal in the second leg at Highbury – Bayer lost 4-1 – was brilliant, a sensational lob over Jörg Butt. He worked it out even though he had his back to the goal.

What did you think of the Werkself home game against Arsenal?

Lußem: For a long time it was testing each other out at a high level. Arsenal taking the lead was a surprise because the English team were fine technically before that but lacked ambition. I think, Bayer were – in terms of chances – on top. But the Werkself threw caution to the wind when Parlour was sent off.

Did you expect Arsenal to be so defensive?

Lußem: Yes, because there was great respect for the Bayer attack, and Vieira set the tempo on the pitch. He didn't want to take any risks. And that tactic was almost rewarded.

It was a tough encounter for the spectators.

Lußem: It was one of those matches that makes football nerds lick their lips. Less spectacular but great skill in defence and always the search for the gaps.

Ulf Kirsten was in his last full season at Bayer 04. And his goal in the last minute to make it 1-1 was also his last European goal. How did you see him in the 2001/02 season when he was 36 years old?

Lußem: He'd already scored for Bayer at Lyon and proved he wasn't past it. The French called him the 'old weapon'. I think Klaus Toppmöller made a mistake by not relying on Ulf any more. First, because he still enjoyed a good reputation and he had real instinct. On the other hand, his mood went down the pan and that wasn't good for the atmosphere in the team.

Toppmöller increasingly relied on Dimitar Berbatov. With Berbo, did you get the feeling back then that he would become a really great player?

Lußem: I always compared him with Marco van Basten. Spindly, gangly but technically perfect nevertheless and his movement was fantastic. Dimitar was very young back then and he didn't have the coolness that Ulf Kirsten did for example or Oliver Neuville as well. But I did get the feeling very early on that he could become a world-class player. Predicting that was no great achievement.

Group D was wide open after the 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal. Then came the return match in London and the cards were suddenly stacked against Bayer 04 with Juventus and Deportivo still to play.

Lußem: It was clear to us journalists after the match at Highbury that it would be all over after the Deportivo game. We didn't give Bayer a chance.

And when the Werkself did qualify for the knockout rounds, did you think they would make it to the final?

Lußem: No, and not even after going to the second group stage. What happened then was a really big show with Liverpool and Manchester United and those are games that everybody still talks about today. It was an incredible phase in the history of Bayer Leverkusen. Like a dream.

What impression did the team make on you? You were in touch with a lot of things back then?

Lußem: We journalists were generally more pessimistic as a rule. We compared the teams with each other and quickly came to the conclusion that Bayer don't stand a chance. The players were much more optimistic and confident. And, at some point, the impression came about that the lads were actually capable of winning everything. And that almost happened.

You've covered Bayer 04 as a journalist for 40 years – where would you put that 2001/02 season in the history of the club?

Lußem: Top spot in the ranking – without a doubt. Only promotion in 1979 was comparable. Because that laid the foundations. But in 2001/02, Bayer went on a run that nobody believed the team was capable of. And therefore it's right at the top for me ahead of the UEFA Cup and the DFB Cup wins. Not forgetting that the team has rarely had so much world class: Nowotny, Lucio, Zé Roberto, Schneider, plus Placente and Bastürk and, of course, the wonderful Michael Ballack – it was a dream.

It was an incredibly arduous season for the team with a fantastic number of games for the first choice players. Was the squad big enough at the end of the day to achieve at least one of the titles on offer.

Lußem: The squad wasn't big enough. If Bayer had gone out of the Champions League at Liverpool then the team would have been champions of Germany. I'm convinced of that. But that stress absorbed too much energy. I'll never forget how Jens Nowotny tore his cruciate against Manchester United and the effect that had on the team. Nobody could replace Nowotny, there was an injury here, a player out there. There was too much stress. And it wasn't enough in the end. A drama.

Here are all the articles on the #RoadtoGlasgow.