Mission accomplished. Bayer 04 Leverkusen are German champions - and with five matchdays to spare! These historic scenes at the BayArena were not only the culmination of many months of sweat and toil in training, but also many unforgettable moments. Dazzing performances, wonder goals, comebacks. And all of this in front of and above all thanks to the fantastic support of the fans. So, in the end, Leverkusen won its well-deserved first Bundesliga title. One that also rewrites a few chapters in the history books of German professional football.
Bayer 04 are the 13th different club to win the domestic crown and the first 'new' one since VfL Wolfsburg in 2009. After 29 matchdays, the Werkself can mathematically no longer be caught by the chasing pack. Only twice in Bundesliga history has the title been decided earlier than in this season.
In the previous 11 years, it's always been the FC Bayern Munich players lifting the Meisterschale at the end of the campaign. But it's not only in recent weeks that Bayer 04 have looked like ending FCB's run. The Werkself have been top of the table on 24 of 29 matchdays this term, and haven't lost a single one of those 29 league games - something no other team have achieved in the history of the German top flight.
The Werkself have collected a remarkable 79 of a possible 87 points - more than ever before in the club's history. This record can of course be extended further in the remaining matches of the season.
Without doubt, head coach Xabi Alonso has been one of the many key figures behind this historic success. The club hierarchy of Werner Wenning, chairman of the shareholders committee, CEO Fernando Carro and managing director for sport Simon Rolfes placed great faith in the Spaniard when they appointed him in October 2022 - and he's repaid them with the league title.
The 42-year-old took charge with the Werkself in 17th place. In his first season as a first-team head coach, Alonso guided the side to sixth place and European qualification. After his first summer with the squad, the incredible run of now 43 games in all competitions without defeat began. There's never been a run like it in German football. What's more, Alonso boasts the highest ever points average for a Leverkusen boss with 2.2.
In his first full year as a head coach at professional level, Alonso already has a first domestic championship. The Spaniard has plenty of experience of winning trophies from his playing days, though - including three Bundesliga titles with Bayern and one with Real Madrid in Spain. Alonso is the ninth person to win the Bundesliga as both a player and coach, joining Hansi Flick, Niko Kovac, Thomas Schaaf, Matthias Sammer, Franz Beckenbauer, Felix Magath, Jupp Heynckes and Helmut Benthaus.
There's been huge potential in this young squad for years. Before this season, Rolfes and Co brought in experienced players like Granit Xhaka, Jonas Hofmann and Alejandro Grimaldo, as well as other talented players such as Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella and Arthur. They all brought a new structure to the Werkself's squad, and together with their fellow teammates created an irrepressible winning mentality.
And the fairytale season could get better still. Lukas Hradecky, Jonathan Tah, Granit Xhaka, Florian Wirtz and Co are motivated to keep going, not just in the Bundesliga but in the DFB Cup and UEFA Europa League, too.
Bayer 04 are already in the final of the DFB Cup, where they'll meet 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the final in Berlin on 25 May. If they succeed, their first league title would become a first domestic double. It would also be just the second cup success after 1993.
In the Europa League, meanwhile, the 2-0 win at home to West Ham United a few days ago has put Alonso's men in a good position for the second leg of the quarter-final in London this Thursday. AC Milan or Roma await in the semi-fianls, with the final taking place three days before the cup final in Dublin.
But the Werkself pros aren't preoccupied with such scenarios yet. Even after this historic achievement of the first German championship, they'll keep doing what they've been doing - step by step. Just as they've been doing since the start of the season. But for now, they and, above all, their fans can continue to enjoy this unforgettable day. The dream has come true.
A special award for special social commitment. At this year's ceremony for the Sepp Herberger Awards in Wolfsburg on Monday night, the DFB Sepp Herberger Foundation recognised Bayer 04 in the social rehabilitation category. The Bundesliga club received the prize, together with €12,000, for its great service to inmates, particularly in the Wuppertal-Ronsdorf prison.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 1-2 loss at VfL Wolfsburg on the 20th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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The Werkself suffered another setback in the tight race for third place in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga. Roberto Pätzold's side lost 2-1 at VfL Wolfsburg in a hard-fought contest on Sunday evening, with Vanessa Fudalla's goal in stoppage time proving too little too late. Leverkusen have dropped to sixth in the table with 31 points, four off third place.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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After full time in the 1-1 draw against FC Bayern Munich, the Bayer 04 fans first had to catch their breath. Firstly because of their usual loud support, and secondly because of the great drama they'd witnessed on the pitch: three disallowed goals, two red cards and a Werkself side who "again produced a very good performance against strong opponents", as head coach Kasper Hjulmand described. The Dane was particularly enthused by the performance of young Montrell Culbreath, while Patrik Schick got to enjoy his 200th appearance under the Cross. The Werkself Review unpacks the action.
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