Among the most intriguing matchups of the most recent Champions League matchday was the clash between Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. Although Leverkusen produced a spirited display, it was simply not good enough to overcome the Spanish powerhouse as they succumbed to a 1-0 loss. Álvaro Morata's 78th-minute goal proved to be the difference-maker.
This season is beginning to take on a familiar tone for Leverkusen. In the Bundesliga, although they are only two points behind league leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach, not many are giving them a genuine chance to last the distance and seriously challenge for the league title. In the Champions League, Die Werkself have lost all three matches and face an uphill struggle to even finish third in their group and qualify for the Europa League, let alone advance to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Every season almost seems to be the same for the club from North Rhine-Westphalia. Ever since the 2009-10, Leverkusen have finished between second and fifth in the Bundesliga in every season except 2016-17, only advanced beyond the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal once, and never advanced beyond the Champions League's round of 16.
Over this decade-long stretch, Leverkusen have certainly not been short of quality players. The likes of Toni Kroos, Tin Jedvaj, Stefan Kießling, Javier Hernández, Son Heung-min, and most notably of all, Arturo Vidal have played for Leverkusen during this period. Now, while one might note that all of these players with the exception of Hernández have since left the club, it should also be recognized that over this same period, teams such as Atlético, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, and reigning European champions Liverpool have been able to overcome the departures of many a star player and establish themselves as genuine forces in domestic and European competition alike.
That being said, the question asked by every Leverkusen fans remains unanswered: how might the club follow in these other teams' footsteps and reach a level at which they are among the fringe, if not the leading, contenders for titles in Germany and in Europe?
The first place to look is, of course, the transfers made by Leverkusen during this past off-season. Leverkusen spent €61 million on player signings during the most recent transfer window. The most notable of these signings was that of central midfielder Kerem Demirbay. The Germany international was signed from Hoffenheim for €32 million, and this represents the first problem - this signing was an obvious overpay; the club seems to have no coherent strategy in place when signing players.
Instead of signing four players for €61 million, Leverkusen could have attempted to go all-in on a big-name player, with perhaps a lesser name to accompany the big-name signing if sufficient funds were to be left over. They already have the supporting pieces in place; Kai Havertz, Lukáš Hrádecký, Sven and Lars Bender, Karim Bellarabi, and Kevin Volland form a solid group. All they need is that one last guy who will make things happen and really get this team firing; however, it appears that they have missed their chance in this regard.
Leverkusen should also consider replacing Peter Bosz as head coach.
Throughout his 17-year coaching career, Bosz has not proven that he is capable of leading a high-level club to the next level. He has never won a title of any sort as a coach, while his most recent job prior to taking over at Leverkusen ended with his dismissal from the position at Dortmund after a dismal start to the 2017-18 season. A new person at the helm would go a long way towards shaking things up and injecting fresh life into the team.
Having said all of this, Leverkusen are not a poorly run club by any means. Given the fact that they are a relatively unglamorous team in a small market, they have done fairly well. Their signings, while sometimes questionable, have not been terrible. The team itself does have a clear identity, and they have been performing at a relatively stable and consistent level.
However, in order to ascend to the next level, some clear but difficult choices have to be made. They will determine if over the next few years, Leverkusen remain at this level or become true title contenders and a real force in European football.
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