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October 2022: Things look bleak for Bayer Leverkusen. The team struggles in the Bundesliga relegation zone, when a new coach, Xabi Alonso, takes over their fate.
June 2024: Bayer Leverkusen concludes the 2023 / 2024 Bundesliga season as German champions and DFB-Pokal winners, securing the domestic double while losing only one game allseason. Shortly afterwards, Spain claims victory at the UEFA European Championship in Germany.
What led to this remarkable transformation? What tactical innovations are behind Alonso's dynamic and dominant style? What influential methodologies from Spanish football form the foundation of his philosophy? And why do coaches from the Basque Country?
In his book, Tim Stegmann weaves these influences into an engaging tactical portrait of Bayer 04 Leverkusen's championship-winning team and the exceptional leadership of their coach: Xabi Campeón!
About the author
Tim Stegmann (*1989 in Hamburg) currently works as a football coach and coach educator in the Regional Football Federation of Hamburg 3rd division with Würzburger Kickers.
He was the first German to complete the Master in Tactical Periodization by Vítor Frade, focusing on the Portuguese methodology of tactical periodization. Driven by his passion for Spanish football, Tim Stegmann decided to study two additional master's programs conducted in Spanish:
In 2022, he graduated at the top of his course from the Master en Dirección de Fútbol, a program jointly offered by Universidad Europea and Real Madrid in the Spanish capital. This course focuses on successful models in youth football. As part of this program, Tim Stegmann also spent six months working within Real Madrid's youth development department.
In 2023, he completed the Master en Fútbol Profesional, offered by FC Barcelona. During this course, he acquired in-depth knowledge of the content, methodology and philosophy of FC Barcelona.
