Bayer Leverkusen are two games away from achieving an unprecadented full season unbeaten.

Leverkusen completed a full Bundesliga season with losing on Saturday — extending their run to 51 games — having clinched the title last month. Xabi Alonso’s side now face two cup finals in four days to achieve a previously unthinkable unbeaten season in domestic and continental competition.

Leverkesen will play in the Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday before facing second-tier side Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on Saturday — a game in which they are heavily favoured.

Alonso’s side have produced a number of stunning comebacks this season, both domestically and in Europe, and the Europa League has provided some of the biggest tests of their streak.

Three times in six games in the knockout rounds, they were 2-0 down deep into the second half: In both round of 16 games against Qarabag and in the semifinals return leg against Roma.

In another streak-saving Europa game, at West Ham in the quarterfinals, Leverkusen were set to advance on aggregate score yet needed an 89th-minute goal by right-back Jeremie Frimpong to draw 1-1 and stay unbeaten.

How is Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten streak even possible? Crunching the numbers
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“We don’t want to wait until the last seconds of the game,” said Patrick Schick, whose three stoppage-time goals against Qarabag in March were key to advancing 5-4 on aggregate. “We would like to make it clear, really, earlier.”

Winning their final two games would complete a remarkable season for Leverkusen, coming in Alonso’s first full season as a head coaching.

“For me it’s very special,” Alonso said last week. “My first title as a coach was the Bundesliga. It was super, it was very special. But a title in Europe would be wonderful and hopefully we will be able to say that.”

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos will retire from football after playing for Germany at this summer’s European Championship, the player announced on Tuesday.

Kroos, 34, has won 22 trophies with Madrid since joining in 2014, including four Champions Leagues — plus another with Bayern Munich — and four LaLiga titles.

The midfielder first raised the prospect of retiring in 2022 before deciding to play on for another season, but has now chosen to end his career this summer.

“After 10 years, at the end of the season this chapter comes to an end,” Kroos posted on Instagram.

“I would particularly like to thank everyone that welcomed me with an open heart and trusted me. But especially I would like to thank you, dear Madridistas, for your affection and your love from the first day until the last one.

“At the same time this decision means that my career as an active footballer will end this summer after the European Championship. As I have always said: Real Madrid is and will be my last club. I am happy and proud, that in my mind I found the right timing for my decision and that I could choose it by my own. My ambition was always to finish my career at the peak of my performance level.”

Kroos announced his return to international football with Germany in February ahead of the Euros, having previously retired from international duty in 2021.

“We suspected that some people knew [his decision] but it’s still taken us by surprise,” a source close to the dressing room told ESPN. “The truth is, he’s irreplaceable.”

Real Madrid won LaLiga this season and will face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1.

“We thought he’d stay, but we’re forever grateful,” a club source told ESPN. “It was a possibility.”

“I’m convinced this is the right decision,” Kroos said in a special episode of his podcast, “Einfach mal Luppen,” released on Tuesday.

“I’ve been thinking about it for months, and with its pros and cons, it’s what I want… I want you to remember that I went out at my best. I promised that when I left Madrid, I’d leave football.”

“Toni Kroos has decided to end his career as a professional footballer after the 2024 European Championships,” Madrid said in statement on Tuesday.

“Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude and affection to Toni Kroos, a player who is already part of Real Madrid’s history and who is one of the great legends of our club and world football.

“Toni Kroos arrived at our club in 2014, and has been a fundamental player in one of the most successful periods in Real Madrid’s 122-year history. During the ten seasons in which he has defended our shirt and our badge, he has won 22 titles in 463 games to date: four European Cups, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, four Leagues, one Copa del Rey and four Spanish Supercopas.

“Toni Kroos will forever remain in the hearts of all Real Madrid fans for his footballing excellence, and for being a player who has given everything for this shirt.”

Kroos played for Bayern Munich at youth level and made his first-team debut in September 2007. He was a part of the Bayern squad that won the Champions League in 2013, before joining Madrid the next summer.

Since that time, he has been a key figure in Madrid’s midfield, forming an iconic trio alongside Luka Modric and Casemiro.

“I’ve always said that I won’t go anywhere else,” he said in November 2022. “I won’t change clubs. I’ll retire here. The only thing I don’t know is when.”

Jurgen Klopp punctuated his opening-day mission statement as Liverpool manager by insisting it is not important what people think about you when you arrive, the true measure of achievement is what they think about you when you leave.

As a beaming Klopp disappeared down the tunnel for the final time as Liverpool manager in front of packed stands at 6.46pm on a glorious Merseyside Sunday night, the German was in no doubt about Anfield’s feelings.

Klopp, clad in a red T-shirt with ‘I’ll Never Walk Alone Again’ on the rear and ‘Thank You Luv’ – the phrase he closely associates with the city of Liverpool – on the front, was accompanied by roars of appreciation, smiles and plenty of tears.

It was the finale of a nine-year thrill ride summed up by a banner stretching across the full length of The Kop before kick-off that provided a neat three-word summary of Klopp’s reign from first day to last.

“Doubters. Believers. Conquerors.”

Liverpool ended a season that brought third place and a Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers that gave Klopp his 299th victory in 491 games. Of 167 league games at Anfield, he lost only 12.

This was a football match that took place around Klopp, not in front of him.

Indeed, until the celebrations and tributes kicked into gear near the final whistle, the normally highly animated, often agitated, manager was a low-key figure.

Klopp did not stalk the technical area, instead sitting alongside his loyal, long-time lieutenant Peter Krawietz, seemingly content to just take in the closing 90 minutes at the place where he has built a legend.

This was the day when Liverpool and their supporters wanted nothing other than to pay homage to Klopp, his crowning achievements being winning the Champions League in 2019 – the club’s sixth win in the competition – then bringing the league title back to Anfield for the first time in 30 years the following year.

From the moment thousands of Liverpool fans basked in the sunshine on Anfield Road hours before kick-off waiting to greet Klopp one last time as he took his seat at the front of the team coach, this was an occasion that went through the full range of emotions he has brought to the club.

As soon as foot was set inside Anfield, the playlist set the tone with All Things Must Pass by George Harrison followed by The Monkees’ I’m A Believer – another reference to Klopp’s “we must turn doubters into believers” message in his opening address.

There was even a somewhat suspect German version of The Beatles’ I Feel Fine, the anthem adopted by Liverpool’s fans as I’m So Glad Jurgen Is A Red.

Klopp looked emotional as Anfield belted out You’ll Never Walk Alone, owner John W Henry flying in from Boston, impassive behind his sunglasses, to take a seat in the directors’ box shortly before kick-off, wanting to deliver his own personal thanks to the man who helped him fulfil the dreams he had for Liverpool.

Three sides of Anfield were transformed by mosaics – ‘Danke’ in the Anfield Road, ‘Jurgen’ stretching the expanse of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, with ‘YNWA’ on The Kop.

Klopp stayed seated, head bowed, clad in a black baseball cap and black T-shirt. The final act of a dramatic sporting story had begun.

In reality, the game was little more than a pleasant backdrop to the Klopp farewell – first-half goals from Alex Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah giving Liverpool a deserved 2-0 win.

And then it was time for the finale all Anfield had been waiting for.

Seconds from the final whistle, Klopp stood up and went along his backroom team one by one, all grabbed in the familiar bearhug.

His only mis-step all afternoon was going slightly too early through a guard of honour formed by Liverpool’s players and officials, but no matter – he did another lap for good measure before approaching a platform of club dignitaries to thunderous roars and applause.

He made his way down a line including Henry, chief executive Billy Hogan, chairman Tom Werner and club legend Sir Kenny Dalglish before receiving a presentation recording the honours he has brought to Anfield.

Klopp delivered a pre-recorded message on giant screens to Borussia Dortmund’s supporters when he left the club, after breaking down in tears when he addressed fans on leaving Mainz.

No such worries this time.

Anfield has no screens but this was no problem for Klopp, who was in boisterous mood as he took the microphone.

He said “I’m so happy. I can’t believe it” before bursting into song as an instrument for passing the Liverpool torch from himself to soon-to-be-annointed successor Arne Slot.

Simply replacing his own name with Slot’s, Klopp told Anfield what they must do when the Dutchman arrives, singing: “Arne Slot, na na na na na” to the tune of Opus’ Live Is Life.

As with all Klopp’s demands, expect them to follow to the letter.

If Slot was watching, he may have felt daunted by the task of replacing a manager and personality plenty believe is irreplaceable but he would have been hugely grateful for such an endorsement from his predecessor, even if it was a musical one.

Preaching to the most converted fanbase in football, Klopp said: “We have you, the superpower of world football. We decide if we are worried or excited. We decide if we believe. We decide if we trust or don’t trust and since today I am one of you and I keep believing in you.”

And then it was time for one final round of Klopp fist pumps in front of The Kop, this time accompanied by his support staff, met with the usual staccato roars.

Anfield demanded one final encore of a scene acted out at the end of so many triumphs. Klopp obliged – six for The Kop and three for the surrounding stands.

“I love you to bits,” shouted Klopp, who delivering an optimistic parting shot as he said: “It doesn’t feel like an end. It just feels like a start. Today I saw a football team full of talent, youth, creativity, desire and greed.”

As Klopp pulled out of Anfield late on Sunday night and left Liverpool behind after his long farewell, the curtain closed on an era.

The murals adorning the sides of houses close to Anfield will remain as reminders of the seismic impact Jurgen Klopp had on Liverpool – but the man who made doubters believers was gone.

Culled from BBC