The Japan Times - Dethroned Bundesliga champions Leverkusen face uncertain future

With two games remaining, Leverkusen are guaranteed to finish second, but the final home match of the season could be a farewell for coach Xabi Alonso and star midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Alonso, the rookie coach who banished the 'Neverkusen' nickname by taking Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title last season, could be headed for Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League as a player.

While Alonso's departure was always on the horizon -- the Basque has often spoken of Leverkusen as the perfect place to develop -- Wirtz's exit will sting, particularly if the 22-year-old Germany regular moves to Bayern, as German media have reported this week.

Born 20 minutes away in Pulheim, Wirtz was plucked from neighbouring FC Cologne's academy and made his debut aged 17, taking Kai Havertz's record as Leverkusen's youngest debutant and later briefly becoming the Bundesliga's youngest goalscorer.

After recovering from an ACL injury in 2022, Wirtz was instrumental in Leverkusen's league and cup double and was named Bundesliga player of the season.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated published Thursday, Wirtz said "it definitely appeals to me to leave my comfort zone at some point and experience something new."

The chatter around the duo's exit has obscured what has still been an excellent season at the BayArena.

After last year's record-breaking campaign, where Alonso's side became the first team in Bundesliga history to go through a season unbeaten, Leverkusen were bound to come back to earth.

Like Bayern, Leverkusen have lost only twice all campaign, but have been held to 11 draws -- four more than the title winners.

Wins in their two remaining games will bring Leverkusen to 74 points: the second-best tally in their history and enough to win the league two seasons ago.

Leverkusen's upcoming opponents Dortmund will want to make to most of the uncertainty, as they push for a Champions League spot.

As low as 12th this season, Dortmund have picked up 16 points in their last six games. They sit one point and one place behind Freiburg, who travel to plucky battlers Holstein Kiel on Saturday.

One to watch: Thomas Mueller

Bayern Munich midfielder Thomas Mueller will play his final match at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Regardless of the result against Borussia Moenchengladbach, Mueller will bid farewell to the home fans by lifting the Bundesliga shield -- doing so for a record 13th time.

No player in Bayern's recent history has embodied the club better than the two-time Champions League winner; Bayern however declined to extend his deal.

Mueller wants to play on and it will be strange to see him wearing another club's kit, for Bayern fans and neutrals alike.

Former mentor Jupp Heynckes, who coached Bayern to the treble in 2012-13, told AFP subsidiary SID on Thursday the veteran should opt not to continue his career elsewhere.

"If I were Thomas, I'd call time on (his career)," Heynckes said, adding Mueller was "predestined" to continue at Bayern in some kind of leadership role in the future.

"Such a gem should not be ignored. Thomas is a witty man and is also very intelligent. He understands an incredible amount in football."

Key stats

9 - Harry Kane may sit atop the scoring charts with 24 league goals, but nine have come from the penalty spot, meaning both Leverkusen's Patrik Schick, with 19, and Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, with 17, have scored more from open play this season.

34 - Bayern have won 34 German league titles. No other club has more than nine.

13 - Bayern's Michael Olise has 13 assists this season, the most in the Bundesliga.

Fixtures (1330 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim (1830)

Saturday

Holstein Kiel v Freiburg, Bochum v Mainz, Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig, Union Berlin v Heidenheim, Bayern Munich v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1630)

Sunday

Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt v St Pauli (1530), Stuttgart v Augsburg (1730)

T.Sasaki--JT