XABI ALONSO SAYS he has always felt a connection with Ireland, stretching back to the summer he spent in Kells as a teenager. That bond will be significantly strengthened if his Bayer Leverkusen side can take the penultimate step to an astonishing unbeaten treble by following up their Bundesliga success with victory in tomorrow’s Europa League final against Atalanta.
Alonso lived in Meath for a summer at the age of 16, playing football with Kells Celtic and also trying his hand at Gaelic football. A few decades on, he sat on the raised platform in the Aviva Stadium press conference room as the Leverkusen manager and one of the most sought-after coaches in the game.
“I enjoyed my summer here, it’s always great to be back to Dublin”, said Alonso. “I feel the connection since then, and also from my Liverpool years, the connection with Ireland is strong. It is great to be here, the stadium is fantastic, our fans will enjoy the whole day and the game will have a special atmosphere.”
Leverkusen have brought 12,000 fans to Dublin in the latest step of their incredible, quixotic season: they are a record 51 games unbeaten, having ended Bayern Munich’s 12-year claim to the Bundesliga title. They will face second-tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday, with tomorrow’s final against Atalanta their biggest challenge left in securing one of the greatest club seasons in the history of European football.
A signature part of Leverkusen’s season has been their ability to score late in games: they have scored 15 goals in stoppage time alone this season.
“Our belief drives us on”, said Alonso. “We know we can create chances up to the final whistle, this belief is crucial to our mindset and our morale. We believe in our brand of football and our principles, and that’s at the heart of this winning run.”
Standing in Leverkusen’s way is an Atalanta side managed by Gian Piero Gasperini, the widely-regarded Italian coach who is yet to win a major trophy. “Tomorrow will be the first time I will have the chance to meet him”, said Alonso of his opposite number. “It will be my honour, he has big experience and is a big personality, especially in Italy.”
Both Leverkusen and Atalanta play a back three, which will mark a relative novelty in a modern European final, but Alonso played down the significance of that fact. “We can be flexible and can change, the main thing is the quality of the players”, said Alonso. “Football is so dynamic the system is just a picture; the game is a movie.”
Alonso was coy as to whether his brilliant playmaker Florian Wirtz will start tomorrow’s final. though he will keep faith with stand-in goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
Atalanta, meanwhile, will be able to call on former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca, who missed last week’s Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus. Vice-captain Marten de Roon will miss the game with a knee injury sustained in that final, however.
“We have prepared everything, we are ready to play the match and go toe to toe with our opponent”, said Gasperini. “We need to be in a relaxed state of mind.
“Bayer Leverkusen are a very organised side: as well as having top players, they are a team first and foremost. They have a number of different options, in terms of their shapes and how certain players break forward. They are versatile, they defend very well, and they counter very well. They are worthy holders of the results and records they have achieved. We have to be switched on and precise, we need to be spot in terms of shape and organisation, and when it comes down to any final, you need to come out on top in the big moments.”
