Recently, German legend Klinsmann gave an interview to Sky Sports and commented on Leverkusen's performance this season.
Leverkusen shocked German football?
I think this is an unexpected Bundesliga season. Everyone is very surprised at the achievements of Leverkusen and Alonso. It is a positive surprise. People go on this journey together with the pharmaceutical factory. Because every week you think they may lose the first game, and then they equalize the score or finish the last game in the 97th minute, the 98th minute, and the 100th minute
It seems that the pharmaceutical factory will not end its unbeaten success. But for all Bundesliga fans, for all fans in this country, this is a fresh air. After Bayern dominated the Bundesliga for many years, it is time for someone to stand up. Leverkusen did it in a very good way. They played offensive football and attracted all the fans, maybe not Bayern fans, but other fans supported Leverkusen and prayed for them.
Now, the story is not over, because they can still win the Europa League and the German Cup. For us Germans, the German Cup is as important as the FA Cup, which is an important trophy. They can defeat Kaiserslautern, a German second team.
Then Leverkusen will play Atlanta in the Europa League final. This is a very good and powerful team, and also a very difficult team to play. But Leverkusen has played so well so far, so why not win the treble?
Leverkusen played one of the greatest seasons in history?
Yes, I want to say so. Obviously, it is rare to remain unbeaten throughout the season. Many years ago, Arsenal did it. This is a very special thing. Nobody expected it.
But from a certain point of view, in the past few years, look at how they have established relations with the players. They are also very lucky to have Alonso. He has a very good relationship with the club. He is still a very young coach, and maintains good communication with the younger generation.
This team was built by Waller over the years. He is now the sports director of the German Football Association. Step by step, they found one genius after another, and some people will reach the level of Bellingham.
Wiltz is a genius, he is likely to be a big surprise of this European Cup. Leverkusen brought in Zaka from Arsenal. He became the leader of the midfield and controlled the rhythm of the game. The pharmaceutical factory has a strong defense line, so I feel everything is in place. In the past four or five years, their creation and combination have reached the highest level. This is a beautiful story, a fairy tale story. We are all curious about how they will end this story.
Can Leverkusen's success continue?
Yes, I think it is. We don't expect them to win the championship again with unbeaten record, but they are absolutely capable of facing Bayern again. Of course, you can expect Bayern will buy people. They will introduce some players to catch up with Leverkusen because they are very angry. When Bayern is angry, they will enter the transfer market and do something.
Usually, Bayern will buy two or three good players from their competitors. If they can't get them, they will go to recruit coaches. But for Alonso, as you know, he has said that he will stay at Leverkusen. This is great because it gives them a chance to compete for the Bundesliga title again. At the same time, under the new Champions League competition system, see how they survive. This is a good thing for the Bundesliga fans, and people are looking forward to the coming of next season.
