Repeating the same day daily. - Alonso's Bowl Magic: The Mystique of May 18
This Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen will be given their first championship trophy. This long-awaited award will be presented in the stadium, fulfilling their deepest desire. No more second-place finishes!
The Enchantment of May 18th.
On May 18th, 1988, Leverkusen claimed their first significant title, the Uefa Cup (a precursor contest to the Europa League). In the second leg of the final versus Espanyol Barcelona, the Werkself emerged victorious with a 3:2 penalty shootout success.
On May 18th, 1996, Bayer saved its place in the 1st division by drawing 1:1 against Kaiserslautern. This result was enough to make the cut. Simultaneously, FCK, their competitors in the cup finals in Berlin on May 25th, encountered relegation for the first time. World Cup champion Rudi Völler (64) brought consolation to Lautern's prominent player, Andreas Brehme, who passed away that year, in the TV studio. Since then, relegation in 1996 marked the commencement of a new era for Bayer. With Christoph Daum (currently 70) steering the team, Leverkusen rose to become a premier club from the following season.
On May 18th, 2023, Bayer was edged out of the Europa League semi-finals by Atalanta Bergamo after a goalless draw. Following the match, a championship pledge was made in the locker room.
Now, there's a chance for the treble. Prior to the cup final on Saturday, Leverkusen will feature in the Europa League finals on Wednesday. Their opponents will be Atalanta Bergamo.
Bayer's record-breaker player Rüdiger Vollborn (61), who secured the championship in the Uefa Cup final on May 18th, 1988, muses, "When I looked at the revised calendar last year, my initial thought was: If there's anything left to compete for us on May 18th, things will surely work out."
Now the trophy awaits. Vollborn confides, "I was more preoccupied with qualifying for the Champions League at the time, rather than the championship."
Champion team member Robert Andrich (29) anxiously anticipates the presentation ceremony. He states, "You've only ever seen it on television, you dreamed of it as a youngster. I think when the moment arrives, it will be incredibly special."
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Source: symclub.org
