Bayer Leverkusen are having their indie moment. 2013 belonged to Atletico Madrid and manager Diego Simeone. The season before that was Borussia Dortmund and Jurgen Klopp. 2011 was Napoli’s year. Those sides laid the blueprint for internet sporting buzz: an eccentric manager takes over mid-table club and upsets league order through a swashbuckling, counter attacks. The high press, Vines of over the top celebrations from managers, and two thousand word tactical breakdowns are the soccer viral campaign. But Leverkusen have done this before in the pre-Twitter era. In that sense, this 2014 season won’t be Leverkusen’s breakout as much as a comeback.

The 2001-02 Leverkusen side fell victim to the paradox of overachieving in European soccer. On one hand, they made it to the Champions League final, the domestic cup final, and finished second place in the Bundesliga. On the other, they lost the Champions League Final to Real Madrid (with Zinedine Zidane scoring arguably his greatest goal), the domestic cup final to Schalke, and Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich within two weeks. Michael Cox, who named the side the No. 6 team of the decade, makes note that the side eventually won nothing - nevermind that they had made it there in the first place. On top of that, Michael Ballack and Ze Roberto left for Bayern Munich that summer (some things never change).

That 2001 side, lead by manager Klaus Topmoller, was the closest Leverkusen had ever come to winning the Bundesliga title in their 110 year existence. They finished second again in 2010 to Dortmund, but the league since has been defined by Klopp-mania and Pep Guardiola’s single minded approach to winning titles in as few matches as possible. But through a combination of youth players, intelligent signings, and a consistent tactical platform, Leverkusen have quietly built a foundation for this season. Co-managers Sami Hyypia and Sascha Lewandoski instituted stability into the side with an extremely defensive, extremely counter attacking squad starting in 2012. Now, it’s Roger Schmidt’s turn to take those extremes to titles.

Searching for Klopp

The label of “the next Klopp” is as close as there is to a magic pill in the Bundesliga (it was supposed to be Hyypia). Klopp’s holistic aura makes the search even more alluring. In discussing his sides, it’s not just about management, but scouting, style, and market inefficiencies in one disheveled, rolled out of bed, college stoner-cum-genius package. Player development? Transfers? Marketing? Throw it all in the magic box, and out pops domestic titles and Champions League Finals with Oscar Wilde’s wit. 

New Leverkusen manager Roger Schmidt’s Red Bull Salzburg side destroyed the Austrian Bundesliga last season with a +75 goal differential, totaling 110 goals in 36 matches. The highlight of the season was pressing Ajax into submission in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup. From Brendan Rodgers to Diego Simeone to Klopp to Schmidt, no detail defines a modern manager more than how they press. Schmidt takes pressing to the extremes, and his players have been accused of steroid use and doping (commentators note that his Red Bull Salzburg side attacked like Dortmund on “an uncomfortable amount of stimulants”, while stimulants don’t seem to fit Klopp’s personality).

Beyond their modern style, Leverkusen have enough goals to power them through the league. With 114 goals in 253 matches with the club, no striker sets the tone for his side more than Stefan Kiessling in both attack and press. He was often alone up front under Hyypia, adept at playing through the channels in a counter attacking side, but he’ll have support this season. South Korean striker Son Heung-Min provides another hard working outlet and match winning goals. And signed over the summer from Hamburg, Hakan Çalhanoğlu may be the world’s foremost free kick specialist. The overriding theme is an extreme press, but the three will be expected to deliver the knockout blow when needed. 

Chelsea supporters will recognize the hardworking balance that André Schürrle provides to the side, and it’s a shame he’s not around to pair Kiessling or Son. His combination of pace, sacrifice, and goals fits perfectly into this present Leverkusen side. But that’s the reality of being the team of the moment. Atletico Madrid lost Diego Costa, Felipé Luis, and Thibaut Courtois to Chelsea over the summer. Mario Götze and Robert Lewandoski left Dortmund for Bayern Munich, with Shinji Kagawa just returning from Manchester United after two unsuccessful seasons. Counter attacking folk heroes Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani left Napoli for PSG. It’s already started for Leverkusen, with midfielder Emre Can poached by Liverpool at the start of the season, and holding midfielder Lars Bender mentioned as an Arsenal candidate. Julian Brandt has Chelsea’s attention. In soccer, selling out is a feature, not a defect.  

Chris Ryan wrote how “it” sides are supposed to live fast and die young, so we should ignore the impending rumors and live in the moment of how well Kiessling, Bender, captain Simon Rolfe, and the Leverkusen squad fit together under Schmidt. We knew Courtois and Costa were most likely leaving Atletico during last season’s Champions League run, but that didn’t damper our appreciation. That side broke apart before they grew stale. Besides, managers can go from the “toast of the Bundesliga” to losing their job within a span of 18 months. But the name on the front, and the journey, remains.