In the end, the football was forced to cede centre-stage to the occasion. Whether it be whistles from the referee, announcements from the tannoy system overhead or even the clear white lines on the pitch, fans ignored all advice and warnings. Like moths to a flame, they edged closer to the action before eventually stepping across the hallowed barrier to embrace the players on the pitch. The stadium had all but given up trying to contain the emotions bottled up inside it and when Florian Wirtz’s third and final goal hit the back of the net it instead turned to embrace the madness. A red and black wave descended upon the bright green field and history was made.
However, this historical moment doesn’t belong exclusively to Leverkusen. Yes, the achievement is theirs alone and the manner in which Xabi Alonso and his team managed to wrestle control of this season’s Bundesliga will forever be attributed to their efforts on the pitch. But Sunday’s climactic finale to the league championship felt like something far bigger than just another sporting achievement. In many ways it felt like a seminal moment for what German football could become in the years to come.
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