Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and his Bayer Leverkusen counterpart Xabi Alonso on Friday joined the growing chorus calling for action on player workload, amid talks of strikes.
"It may have looked pretty easy, but it's really not," Alonso told reporters after his team cruised to four first-half goals to break the Dutch resistance.
Bayer Leverkusen's 35-game unbeaten Bundesliga run came to an end in their last game and manager Xabi Alonso hopes the short time he has had with his players will be sufficient to get back to winning ways.
Granit Xhaka praised his side's "pure mentality" as Florian Wirtz's goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time snatched a 3-2 win for reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen at Borussia Moenchengladbach in Friday's Bundesliga opener.
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said Thursday that Bayern Munich are the Bundesliga title favourites this season, despite his side's incredible league and cup double last campaign.
Eyebrows were raised when Xhaka arrived from Premier League runners-up Arsenal at the start of last term, with Leverkusen coming off a fifth-placed finish and with rookie coach Xabi Alonso preparing for his first full season as a first-team head coach.
"What we did in the last 10 or 15 minutes, with a man down, to score the equaliser -- it was unbelievable," Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said after the match, praising his side's "huge spirit".
Vincent Kompany was officially presented as Bayern Munich's new coach on Thursday, insisting he did not share the football world's surprise at his appointment.
Bayer Leverkusen's German league and Cup double was the result of players keeping faith in the team throughout what turned into a dream season, their coach Xabi Alonso said on Saturday.
Bayer Leverkusen were held to a goalless draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday as their lead over injury-hit Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga was cut to two points.
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso on Friday played down speculation he could replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in the summer, saying: "what comes next, I don't know".
Initially seen as dark horses, Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso have stormed out of the blocks in the 2023-24 Bundesliga season, etching their name in the record books with some stellar displays so far.
Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen have signed forward Nathan Tella on a five-year deal from Championship side Southampton, both clubs said on Sunday.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has extended his contract by two years to 2026, the Bundesliga club announced on Friday.
Bayer Leverkusen eased into the Europa League semi-finals after crushing hosts Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium 4-1 on Thursday for a 5-2 aggregate win that stretched their unbeaten run to 12 straight matches across all competitions.
Bayer Leverkusen left it late but pulled off a 2-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to kickstart their Champions League campaign and ease the pressure on coach Gerardo Seoane.
Atletico Madrid beat hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in a topsy-turvy encounter to take a firm handle on their Champions League round-of-16 tie ahead of the return leg in Spain next month.
Hoffenheim's Germany international Kevin Volland has signed a five-year deal with Bayer Leverkusen, the two clubs announced on Friday.
Uncapped midfielders Joshua Kimmich and Julian Brandt are included in Germany's provisional 27-man squad for next month's European championships in France.