The 2023–24 season of the Bundesliga took the world by storm. Notably, this season saw Cinderella stories come to life, the arrival of a football icon, the return of a prodigal son, a German football renaissance, and much more.
So, together with SBOTOP, let’s take a look back at memorable moments and stunning accomplishments that made this campaign one of the most memorable ones in Bundesliga history.
Bayer Leverkusen win the title
First and foremost, Bayer Leverkusen claiming the Bundesliga title on Matchday 29 out of 34 has been the biggest Bundesliga 2024 news to come out this season.
This Cinderella story didn’t only shrug the ‘Neverkusen’ tag off of the club, marking a new age of football in Leverkusen; it also marked the end of Bayern Munich’s dynastic dominance in the German football scene.
Once the Bundesliga 2024 odds underdogs, Die Werkself earned their seat in the Pantheon of German football and etched their greatness in Bundesliga history.
Marco Reus’ last game at Signal Iduna Park
BVB bid farewell to Mr. Dortmund himself, Marco Reus. The club legend ends his career with the black and yellow after a fruitful 12-year spell with the team.
The Yellow Wall saw Reus play his last game at Signal Iduna Park, when Dortmund played host to Darmstadt last weekend, and the home side fittingly honoured Reus with a 4-0 victory over their German rivals.
Like a scene out of a movie, the 34-year-old, in his last home game, delivered a stunning free kick that took its time in the air, as if it were waving goodbye to the home crowd, before slotting perfectly in the upper-left corner of the goal.
It was an apt farewell for the Dortmund legend, to say the least.
VfB Stuttgart’s emergence
Stuttgart finished 16th in the German top flight last season, but from out of nowhere, Sebastian Hoeneß and his men proved that they were a force to be reckoned with during the 2023–24 season as they finished in second place, clinching a Champions League spot and even besting the mighty Bayern Munich in the standings.
The arrival of Harry Kane
The whole football world was locked into the Bundesliga when Harry Kane announced his move from Tottenham to the already formidable Bayern Munich.
The Three Lions skipper immediately made his presence felt in his new home, claiming the Bundesliga Golden Boot in his maiden season in Germany with 36 top-flight goals.
Despite Bayern’s shortcomings this season, the arrival of Harry Kane in Munich definitely changes the landscape of Bayern for the better.
Bayer Leverkusen complete unbeaten season
Just when you think Bayer Leverkusen couldn’t top themselves after winning the title, they then proceeded to finish the 2023–24 season with an unbeaten record.
Alonso’s Die Werkself are the first team in the history of German football to go through an entire Bundesliga season unbeaten.
Their greatness transcends the top flight, as they are also yet to be beaten after 51 games across all competitions. (34 Bundesliga matches, 12 Europa League matches, and five in the DFB-Pokal)
The return of Jadon Sancho
After an unsuccessful stint with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, Jadon Sancho returns to Borussia Dortmund as a loanee.
The 24-year-old forward didn’t have much success in the Premier League early in the season, so he found his way back to the Bundesliga. There, with Dortmund, the prodigal son went back to his stellar form and immediately chipped in for BVB across all competitions.
With the help of Sancho, BVB claimed their Champions League berth next season and will appear in the 2024 Champions League final against Spanish side Real Madrid.
Serhou Guirassy’s stellar campaign
One can’t talk about Stuttgart’s emergence in the 2023–24 season without mentioning the contributions of Serhou Guirassy.
The 28-year-old striker was the pivotal cog to Stuttgart’s success, striking 28 goals in 28 appearances for Die Roten.
Thanks to the efforts of Guirassy, Stuttgart will feature in the Champions League next season for the first time since the 2009–10 campaign.
Simmons and Openda take over RB Leipzig
No Nkuku, no problem. After Nkuku’s move to Chelsea, RB Leipzig’s status in the Bundesliga was in question, but not for long.
Marco Rose was keen on developing his budding duo, Xavi Simmons and Lois Openda, to become the foundation for Leipzig’s success. True enough, the dynamic duo was able to lead Leipzig to a fourth-place finish and a Champions League berth to boot.
Openda leads the club with 24 goals, while Simmons has emerged as their maestro, claiming 11 assists this season.
Florian Wirtz wins Bundesliga Player of the Season Award
The Bayer Leverkusen accolades just keep rolling in, as their ace, Florian Wirtz, was voted as the Bundesliga Player of the Season. Wirtz was undoubtedly the best player on the best team in the German top flight, so this recognition came as no surprise.
Aside from the numerous clutch moments, the 21-year-old midfielder struck 11 goals and claimed 11 assists for Die Werkself this season.
The future looks bright for German football, if you ask me.
Germany’s stamp on the European stage
European football saw a renaissance of German football this season. Notably, Dortmund’s victory over French side PSG secured the Bundesliga a fifth spot in next season’s Champions League next season.
Thanks to deep runs by Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the UCL and, of course, Bayer Leverkusen’s performance in the Europa League, among others, Germany’s club coefficients got a significant boost and have placed them as the second-highest nation on the list, second only to Italy.
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