"It is hard to believe that a mere 16 months ago, as they celebrated an unprecedented, unbeaten domestic double-winning season with their awestruck fans at the BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen resembled the very picture of stability, health and continuity. It seemed as though Die Werkself were set to maintain their soaring productivity levels, with Xabi Alonso working his coaching magic and having rebuffed his former clubs, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, as they searched for new managers."
"So much for romantic spring 2024 notions of formally renaming the part of the Bismarckstrasse, the street that houses the BayArena, the Xabi Alonso-Allee in honor of the club's most successful manager. In the here and now, Leverkusen are a team in search of an identity again after an XXL-Umbruch (radical change of a massive scale) with a whopping 17 players out and 21 in."
"The decision to dispense with the services of coach Erik ten Hag just two Bundesliga matches into the current season might strike you as overly harsh and panicky. The other perspective is that Rolfes and CEO Fernando Carro recognized that they had made a grave mistake in believing the spiky Dutchman would passen (fit). The passen concept is one that underpins appointments in Germany."
Bayer Leverkusen transitioned from an unbeaten domestic double-winning team into a club experiencing major upheaval within 16 months. Xabi Alonso delivered exceptional results and rebuffed approaches from top clubs, while sporting and football directors appeared secure in planning. Subsequent changes produced an XXL-Umbruch that saw 17 players leave and 21 arrive, leaving the squad unrecognizable and plans to honor Alonso abandoned. The club dismissed Erik ten Hag after two Bundesliga matches amid judgment that the appointment did not passen; German appointments prioritize a coach's fit with club philosophy, style and personality.
Read at ESPN.com
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