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Bayer Leverkusen win 1st ever Bundesliga title

April 15, 2024

They are "Neverkusen" no more. Bayer Leverkusen have broken more than a decade of Bayern Munich hegemony in the Bundesliga, winning the league at a canter under the stewardship of a former Bayern player, Xabi Alonso.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ekiy
Bayer Leverkusen players celebrate, holding the Bundesliga trophy aloft, after Sunday's 5-0 win over Werder Bremen, which also mathematically secured them the league title. Leverkusen, April 14, 2024.
Another team name, Bayer Leverkusen, is being etched onto the Bundesliga 'Meisterschale' trophy for the first timeImage: Federico Gambarini/dpa/picture alliance

Perennial contenders in German football, the Bundesliga title had always evaded Bayer Leverkusen, leading to the somewhat cruel "Neverkusen" nickname.

But this season, Xabi Alonso's team romped away with the league, mathematically sealing the title with five games to spare.

Leverkusen fans run on the pitch after Bayer Leverkusen won the German Bundesliga title beating Werder Bremen in Leverkusen, Germany, Sunday, April 14, 2024.
Success-starved Leverkusen fans flocked onto the pitch to celebrate after the team sealed the league in style with a 5-0 win over Werder Bremen on SundayImage: Martin Meissner/AP Photo/picture alliance

The team is yet to lose a league game all season, with 25 wins and four draws in 29 matches, while they're conceding less than a goal a game on average. 

How did they dispel more than a decade of Bayern Munich dominance? What was Xabi Alonso's impact from the dugout? What were the best images from Sunday's long overdue celebrations in the small city near Cologne? Check out our coverage here. 

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