Xabi Alonso: We’re Focused On Winning German Cup After Europa League Loss

Bayer Leverkusen’s coach Xabi Alonso stated on Friday that the team has swiftly moved on from their Europa League final loss to Atalanta and is now focused on winning the German Cup on Saturday to conclude what has already been a remarkable season.

Having recently secured the Bundesliga title, the team is on the verge of claiming their first domestic double by defeating Kaiserslautern from the second division in the final on Saturday. Despite a 3-0 loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, the team is focused on the upcoming match.

The loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final marked their first defeat of the season in all competitions following an undefeated Bundesliga campaign that led to the league title and a European record-breaking 51-game unbeaten streak.

“It was a long way to get here, since August last year,” said Alonso of Saturday’s showcase at Berlin’s Olympic stadium. “We are here. It is great to have the last game of the season as a final. After Wednesday we are ready and focused for tomorrow. We have to have the hunger and I think after Wednesday we have it more.”

Before winning this season’s Bundesliga title, Leverkusen’s most recent trophy was the 1993 German Cup. Coach Alonso mentioned that the team had limited time to analyze their first loss of the season, yet they have already shifted their focus towards the upcoming opportunity to secure a double.

“The time for analysis is short because our focus is now on tomorrow. What happened on Wednesday hopefully will not have much influence,” Alonso said.

“We have to continue after the defeat. The goal is big. Tomorrow we can cap it with the Cup. Dublin is gone and behind us and now we think about Berlin.”