Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable transformation under Xabi Alonso’s guidance has intrigued football enthusiasts. A significant shift in their recruitment strategy has been key to their success.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes sheds light on the pivotal moments and critical decisions that have set the stage for their triumphs in recent seasons.
A Turning Point: The Bayern Munich Game
Over in Leverkusen, they will tell you that it was the Bayern Munich game in September of last season that had them believing they might be onto something. Xabi Alonso’s side had won their first three games when they went to Munich and drew 2-2.
“In the pre-season, you feel like, oh, we have a good team,” says Simon Rolfes, Bayer Leverkusen’s sporting director. “When you start the season, okay, we have a good team. Then we play in Munich. Okay, we are competitive, really at the top.”
It was proof they were at least a match for the team that had won the Bundesliga 11 times in a row. As it turned out, Leverkusen were rather better than that, powering to the title and becoming the first unbeaten team in the competition’s long history.
The Mentality Shift
“At a certain point of the season, it was as if we had the feeling that we would not lose and that is a special feeling. Okay, we cannot do exactly what we want, but at the end we will win, you know? If we push and we push, we will score, we will score,” says Rolfes.
That was always the mentality and self-belief of the players, that we will find a solution, we will get it, however we have to do it. It was this relentless drive that set them apart and continued to fuel their performance long after the Bundesliga title was secured.
Leverkusen’s knack for late goals remains. It won them the Supercup against Stuttgart with 10 players. Their winner on the opening weekend came in the 101st minute.
A New Approach to Recruitment
To explain how all this happened, how Leverkusen became the envy of Europe in upsetting the odds, it takes more than Alonso. It required a recruitment rethink, one Rolfes now freely admits was rooted in the mistakes that were made along the way.
“Besides the technical, tactical and physical skills, the personality also is crucial, and if this is bad, in our opinion, we will not sign the player,” he explains. “That was also a key learning from our season two years before, when we really struggled.”
Rolfes understood that at least some of the responsibility lay with the recruitment. “We had to take a deeper look into this project about how we analysed players, what characteristics we wanted.”
The lesson was clear: personality and intrinsic motivation were just as important as on-field prowess.
The Role of Technology and Data
Rolfes, a legend at Leverkusen and a former player, has varied interests, including technology. He excitedly discusses artificial intelligence and how data drives their scouting processes.
“If you do not use it, it is just a hobby. For me, it is a normal development. Technology is getting better and better. The data is more precise and you can use it in a better way. We try to find some key performance indicators that say, for us, this is important,” Rolfes explains.
This approach ensures they identify the right profiles through a clear process rather than spontaneously selecting players.
Character Assessment
That is when the subjective assessment of their character kicks in. “He looks good, but what is he like mentally? We try to get as much information as possible,” Rolfes notes. It isn’t easy to know someone inside out, he admits.
And there is an awareness that not everyone needs to be the same. “Our goal is not to have 25 players alike. You need different characteristics. Introverts and extroverts. Leadership guys. But a player without intrinsic motivation? It is difficult to be a top star.”
Rolfes is reluctant to name names when it comes to those who did not have the motivation required – the clue is that they are long gone. But he is happy to provide an example of a player who embodies the qualities Leverkusen want to see in a player.
Robert Andrich: A Role Model
Robert Andrich has just been rewarded with a new contract, reflecting his pivotal role in Leverkusen’s success. He was almost 25 when he made his Bundesliga debut for Union Berlin. Now he is a cult hero. “Robert is for me a fantastic role model,” says Rolfes.
“He has had a very special way to the top and that is what I like. A lot of top players are more or less the best in their academy, they make it really early. Robert really worked, made it step by step and then became an international player at 29. I really like this.”
Andrich exemplifies the qualities that Leverkusen value: the ability to adapt, a strong mentality, and intrinsic motivation.
Building for the Future
Leverkusen’s recruitment last season was remarkable, Granit Xhaka, Alex Grimaldo and Victor Boniface among those helping to transform the team. This time around, they have retained the key players and added to the group for the Champions League challenge.
“It is important to keep the core structure of the team but refresh it,” explains Rolfes. “That is our idea. We signed a defender, a midfielder, an attacking player. So in each part of the squad, there is a little bit of new competition, maybe a new hierarchy.”
While improving the squad has become more challenging due to their elevated performance levels, the draw of joining the Bundesliga champions and working with Alonso remains strong.
Keeping Alonso was key. “I always had a good feeling that he would stay.” But Rolfes knows that it will not be forever, and planning for succession is crucial. Each successful story paves the way for the next one.
Conclusion
Bayer Leverkusen’s journey under Xabi Alonso is a testament to the power of strategic recruitment and intrinsic motivation.
With a blend of technological innovation, character assessment, and a winning mentality, Leverkusen is poised to challenge Bayern Munich for the title once again.
Bayer Leverkusen’s journey under Xabi Alonso is a testament to the power of strategic recruitment and intrinsic motivation.
With a blend of technological innovation, character assessment, and a winning mentality, Leverkusen is poised to challenge Bayern Munich for the title once again.
