Xabi Alonso: Leverkusen's dream run
Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen had a magnificent 2023-24 season, winning their first-ever Bundesliga title. Alonso transformed a club threatened with relegation in October 2022 into Bundesliga champions in his first stint as a senior coach. They remained unbeaten throughout the 2023-24 Bundesliga season. However, on 22nd May, 2024 their dream run of 51 matches(361 days) ended in the Europa League final, losing 3-0 to Atalanta in the penultimate game of the entire season. Notably, during their unbeaten streak, they set a record for the longest unbeaten run in Europe since the beginning of European football, surpassing Benfica's record of 48 matches set between 1963-1965.
Following table charts top unbeaten streaks till 2024.
| Club | # of games | Year | Coach | Star players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayer Leverkusen | 51 | 2023-24 | Xabi Alonso | Wirtz, Xhaka |
| Benfica | 48 | 1963–65 | Lajos Czeizler, Elek Schwartz | Eusébio |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 45 | 2014–15 | Zoran Mamić | Marcelo Brozovic |
| Juventus | 43 | 2011–12 | Antonio Conte | Buffon, Vidal |
| Ajax | 42 | 1995–96 | Louis van Gaal | Edgar Davids, De Boer |
| AC Milan | 42 | 1991–92 | Fabio Capello | Marco van Basten, Ancelotti |
Who is going to surpass Leverkusen's record and when. Any guesses?