Bayer Leverkusen’s Double-winning heroes braved the rain to celebrate an unforgettable season which saw them undefeated in domestic competitions.
Xabi Alonso’s team added the DFB-Pokal to the Bundesliga title by beating second division Kaiserslautern 1-0 in Berlin on Saturday night and celebrated in style back home.
They went on a bus parade through the streets of Leverkusen before thousands of fans greeted them for a celebration at the Bay Arena.
The heavens opened as Alonso led his players out onto the stage but there was no dampening the mood after a remarkable campaign.
Leverkusen went all 34 Bundesliga games unbeaten to rack up 90 points and finish 17 ahead of second-placed Stuttgart and 18 clear of Bayern Munich, champions for the past 11 seasons.
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso with the DFB-Pokal trophy in the pouring rain as they celebrated an incredible unbeaten domestic season
The Leverkusen players enjoyed a tickertape welcome back to the BayArena after adding the German Cup to their Bundesliga title this weekend
The rain made things a little soggy at the BayArena but there was no dampening of spirits
Granit Xhaka and his team-mates waved smoke flares on the open-top bus during the parade
It was the team’s first-ever Bundesliga title having finished runners-up on five occasions previously.
Die Werkself won a further six games to add the German Cup, culminating with former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka’s winning goal against Kaiserslautern on Saturday evening.
It was the club’s second success in the competition, the last coming back in 1993.
They’d also gone 12 further games without defeat in the UEFA Europa League before Atalanta dashed their dreams of a totally unbeaten season by beating them 3-0 in last Wednesday’s final in Dublin.
But that was hardly going to dampen spirits, with Alonso describing it as a ‘dream season’ after Saturday night’s win, which came in spite of Odilon Kossounou’s 44th-minute red card.
‘It is huge success to win the Double. We will remember this in the future,’ Alonso said.
The players toured the streets of Leverkusen on a bus during the victory celebrations
Tens of thousands of happy Leverkusen fans celebrated what has been an incredible season
The heavens opened but that wasn’t likely to dampen spirits after Leverkusen’s Double win
‘The most important thing was the belief of the team. They were ready to battle with 10 players and I am proud of that.
‘I need time to accept what happened this season. It was a dream season and to celebrate the last day like this here is special.’
Spanish coach Alonso, 42, rejected overtures from Liverpool, Bayern Munich and elsewhere to stay at Leverkusen into next season and lead them in the Champions League.
He was at the heart of celebrations on Sunday, getting drenched as he lifted the two cups on a stage at the BayArena as thousands of jubilant fans watched on.
Xabi Alonso writes his name in the golden book at a civic reception held for the team
Bayer Leverkusen celebrate winning the DFB Pokal to bag an undefeated German double
Granit Xhaka scored the only goal of the game with this sizzling strike to beat Kaiserslautern
Xhaka, 31, who has enjoyed a superb season, was one of the players waving red smoke flares from the deck of the bus as it paraded through the city.
Showing off their medals, the players downed huge glasses of beer on the bus having visited Leverkusen’s City hall to sign a golden book in the company of the Mayor Uwe Richrath.