Bayer Leverkusen wants to leave the “Neverkusen” nickname behind and Atalanta faces its own history

In the German city of Leverkusen they dream of breathing a sigh of relief again, without ghosts of the past hanging over their heads. They long to forget the dark nickname that has accompanied them since the beginning of the century. For this reason, there are hours of little sleep among the 160 thousand inhabitants of the town. The celebrations because the team of the city and sensation of Europe, Bayer Leverkusengot his first Bundesliga of history, undefeated, can double this Wednesday if they win the Europa League. Not only for the mere fact of celebrating his first double (possible triplet if they also win the German Cup final), but because of the lateral connotation it carries: it will be time to put an end to the label “Neverkusen“the karma of your worst nightmares.

This Wednesday from 4pm (Argentine time), Bayer Leverkusen is playing for more than just a title for its short record (Europa League 1987-88, German Cup 1992-93 and Bundesliga 23-24). He Dublin Arena of Ireland will be the stage that dresses up to receive the final of the Europa League, where the team in which he plays Exequiel Palacios dreams of continuing making history. Although in front of her she will have an unexpected Atalantawhich knew how to eliminate Liverpool and Olympique de Marseille along the way, which also arrives on the land of the United Kingdom with the aim of dealing with its past.

Everything indicates that Wednesday’s day is destined to mark unprecedented history. Each finalist has extra motivations to win the title: Germans want to redeem themselves and put an end to the nickname with which all of Germany made fun of them because of their extensive drought. Although Those from Bergamo also have the challenge of ending a streak of three consecutive lost finals..

For Argentina, any result ends up being positive: with the albiceleste presences on the one hand Exequiel Palaciosa fundamental piece in the assembly of the midfield of the German team, and of the other Juan Mussostarter in all Europa League games, with a Jose Luis Palomino who occupies a secondary role for the Italians, at least one will necessarily shout champion. Each of them has the chance to celebrate their first international title at the club level.

Logic seems to position Leverkusen as the favorite. Little argument deserves the team that did not lose any of the 51 games it played in the season, was responsible for putting an end to Bayern Munich’s eleven-year hegemony in the Bundesliga and has the possibility of lifting the first double (or triplet) of his story. Although, just a couple of years ago, the roles were reversed. That is why, beyond having won the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) in the 1987-88 campaign, the chance to win it again drives Bayer fans crazy from another perspective.

“Neverkusen” either “Loserkusen“(Never-kusen and Loser-kusenin English) were the nicknames that haunted Bayer like ghosts during the last two decades and now, with a team that literally does not know defeat (they have gone 51 games without losing), they fervently seek to leave them in oblivion.

The etymology of the concept dates back to the beginning of the 21st century. To do this, it is worth remembering that Bayer was never characterized by being a cup-winning team. The data is visible when seeing that the recent Bundesliga was its third title since its founding in 1904. However, His fateful karma began in the 2001-02 season: They had the best team in their history until then, led by Michael Ballack, Zé Roberto, Lucio and with the Argentine presence of Diego Placente. Everything pointed to having a dream campaign when they had the luxury of eliminating Manchester United in the Champions League semi-finals.

But in the final stretch, the balloon ended up being punctured in the worst way: In a period of two weeks they lost the European final against Real Madrid, the German Cup final and were runners-up in the Bundesliga when they came to be five points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, which took first place. From a possible triplet to a nadaplete. “The disappointment is enormous,” coach Klaus Toppmoller said at the time.

Added to the frustration was a league loss, two years ago, against Bayern Munich due to goal difference. Such was the impact and reason for chicanes in Germany that the rest of German fans baptized Bayer as the Neverkusenwithout knowing that that nickname would become part of the club’s culture given its zero possibilities of ending the drought.

The years, seasons and decades passed, but the titles for Leverkusen did not come. He only accumulated five second place medals, performances that magnified his fateful label. “Quality has always been present in Leverkusen, but something has always been missing“Ballack said some time ago in an interview.

Possibly, the emergence of Xabi Alonso As a strategist, it was the extra that was needed to collapse this phenomenon in one fell swoop, and in the least expected way. The first step to change reality and silence the ghosts was taken with the Bundesliga. But the Xabineta It infected all of Bayer to experience a revolution in the club’s history, which would allow the air of mockery to be completely replaced by those of greatness.

“My first objective is to create new energy to recover the winning mentality“, confessed Xabi in his press conference when he took over as coach of Leverkusen. His plan went perfectly and, according to his own players, it allowed the aspirin kit “click.” The firm step that remains to be taken to completely forget the nickname “loser” will be taken if they positively draw the final.

Now, with Exequiel Palacios as the axis of the midfield, Leverkusen has the option to redeem itself, put an end to its karma forever and leave frustrations and false illusions behind. He went from Neverkusen to living a season purely Win-kusen (Victoriakusen, in Spanish). What’s more, their fans are excited about winning the Europa League and the German Cup to become nicknamed Treblekusen (Triplekusen). The revolution in Bayer’s ideology still seems to have no ceiling.

Beyond the personal fight that Leverkusen will have in the Europa League, the Italian roots also contribute their seasoning to a final that seems to deal more with history than with the present. The thing is Atalanta also plays in their subconscious with a burden that is no less important: they want to end a streak of three lost finals consecutively over a period of five years.

Last Wednesday, after losing 1-0 to Juventus in the Italian Cup final, the Bergamo team felt its agony of not being able to reflect a star on its shield. The precedents were in 2021, also against Vecchia Signora, and in 2018 when they lost to Lazio. The three finals corresponded to the Italian Cup.

However, the analysis from the perspective of titles may be more worrying for the institution: champion hasn’t been champion for 61 years, when they won the Italian Cup in 1963. Three generations of fans went through promotions and some Third or Second division championships as their greatest joys. However, Atalanta’s history is not extensive either, but rather its aspiration to fight for titles came from the hand of Gian Piero Gasperini to the substitute bench in 2016. With 300 games in the club and a change of mentality for the institution and fans, he was in charge of naturalizing the fans to play in the Champions League and fight for a podium in Serie A.

After all, The Europa League will be won by an atypical team in football tradition. The lateral connotations for both the winner and the loser are unalterable. Leverkusen and Palacios put their undefeated record at stake along with the enthusiasm of fans who want to keep their mouths shut and forget the disappointments of the last 20 years. Although Musso and company are not far behind with the goal of seeing Bergamo celebrate for the first time in more than six decades. It will be a day where history dresses up to add a new unprecedented chapter.