Xabi Alonso didn’t dream in Kells of booking place in a European Final but now sits on brink of historic treble: ‘I have a strong connection with Ireland’

Moving fluently between German and English at the Europa League pre-match press conference, Bayer Leverkusen’s Spanish manager Xabi Alonso spoke about an ‘intense’ period in charge of the German side since taking over in late 2022.

Sitting in the media room, this reporter strained to try and pick up whether Alonso still had a Meath accent from his summer spent as a ‘Spanish Student’ during his teenage years but to no avail. 

Asked whether he ever dreamed then of returning to Ireland to be involved in a European Final he said: “No, at that moment it was not in my plans what I was going to be.

"I came here when I was 14 to Kells. I enjoyed my summer.

"It’s always great to come to Dublin. I feel that connection since then and my Liverpool years. My connection with Ireland is strong,” he said.

“It's great to be here, the stadium is fantastic and our fans for sure will enjoy the whole day, the pre-match, and the game will have a great match.”

His team are two matches away from an unprecedented unbeaten treble. Having wrapped up the Bundesliga, Wednesday in the Europa League Final is the chance for them to pick up a second piece of silverware before Saturday’s German Cup Final against second tier Kaiserslautern.

They are on the cusp of an incredible treble which would a remarkable achievement for the 42-year-old manager.

“In a year and a half (at Leverkusen) so many things have happened. It has been a very intense period. This year we have been able to take a lot of right decisions and put the pieces together.

"We have build great chemistry between the players. The energy in the dressingroom is really good. The confidence is really good and the mentality we have shown throughout the year has been fantastic. I’m really enjoying it. 

“We have played this year 51 games, we have talked so much so it is great that the players have this understanding of different situations and preparation.

"It is almost like the job is done, now is the time to give our best in these two games and we will give our best on Wednesday night. The players are ready and well prepared.”

Facing them are an Atalanta side who dispatched Liverpool and Marseille in the knock out stages to reach the final in the ‘Dublin Arena’.

“We know over last five years, Atalanta have had a clear identity under Gasperini. They know what they have to do and have had success domestically and in Europe.

"They continue to progress and evolve but occasionally they sit back. We can be flexible (with 3-4-3 formation) but the main thing is the quality of our players and how they read the situation.

"We respect Atalanta but I have confidence in us. We have the confidence that we can make it.”

Europa League Final Preview: Atalanta -v- Bayer Leverkusen https://t.co/bsmB5GEvn6pic.twitter.com/FYf8XRAk0j

— extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) May 21, 2024