Bayer Leverkusen just extended their unbeaten run to 42 games after beating West Ham 2-0 in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday at the BayArena. The German club has not lost a game all season; they’ve won 37 and drawn 5 of the 42 games they’ve played this season across all competitions.
This phenomenal season the club is having is a far cry from the position they were in when Xabi Alonso took over the club in 2022. The club was 17th in the league and close to relegation before Alonso took the reins and completely turned things around; turning them into a juggernaut in the world of football.
He has transformed Bayer Neverkusen into Bayer Neverlusen; a club that never loses. Bayer Leverkusen was nicknamed Neverkusen because of how many times they’ve come close to major trophies but did not win. They started playing in the Bundesliga in 1979 but have never won the league although they’ve come very close many times. The only trophies they have won are the DFB Pokal Cup in 1988 and the German Cup in 1994. Unfortunately, the club has a longer list of second-place finishes across different competitions. Between 1996 and 2002, Leverkusen finished second in the league four times!
In the 1999/2000 season, Leverkusen lost the title in the last game of the season. Bayer Leverkusen had 73 points going into the last game of the season and were undefeated in the previous 14 Bundesliga games. Bayern Munich was in second place with 70 points; 3 points behind Leverkusen. All Leverkusen needed to win the trophy was a draw but somehow they ended up losing their last game of the season to 10th-place Unterhaching; a team with no tournament expectations. To make matters worse, the first goal against Leverkusen in that match was an own goal in the 20th minute from Michael Ballack. Leverkusen tried all they could but they could not find an equalizer and to their absolute dismay Unterhaching scored again sealing their defeat and essentially taking the trophy out of their hands and handing it to Bayern Munich who had won their own match. At the end of the day, both teams had 73 points but Bayern Munich won the league on goal difference (45-38).
Bayer Leverkusen fans went into the match expecting to win the league for the first time in their history but ended up with a disappointing loss. Needless to say, fans and players cried; it was a painful experience for the club. So close but not quite there yet.
The year that birthed and popularized the nickname Neverkusen was the 2001/2002 season when Bayer Leverkusen came close to winning the treble of the Bundesliga, the German Cup, and the Champions League but ended up losing all of them. They had a treble of second-place finishes that season.
Leverkusen started that season with a bang and they were playing well even outside the league. They were top of the league for a while but after a string of losses, they fell to second place before the last match of the season. Even though Leverkusen won their last match, it wasn’t enough as first-placed Dortmund also won their last match and won the league.
They made it to the German Cup final but lost 4-2 to Schalke 04 after they were leading 2-0. Somehow, Schalke scored four goals in a row to win the trophy.
The Champions League was not much different as they made it to the final defeating Liverpool and Manchester United along the way but lost out to Real Madrid. Again, so close. Following their string of losses, the nickname Bayer Neverkusen was born.
Currently, the club is again faced with the possibility of winning a treble. They’re top of the league this time with 16 points clear of Bayern Munich. They are in the German Cup final and leading in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final. Perhaps they can finally win the league and ditch the painful nickname.
Alonso’s Bayer Neverlusen have not lost a single game all season and at this point, it’s almost impossible for them not to win the league. Do you think Leverkusen can win the treble? Can they win the league unbeaten? Would this campaign be the greatest in the history of the Bundesliga? So many questions but I guess time will tell.