Xabi Alonso, Florian Wirtz and Bayer Leverkusen's remarkable season discussed by club chief Simon Rolfes

Bayer Leverkusen are two wins away from a memorable treble and historic undefeated season. It's a remarkable rise from the team that were second bottom in the Bundesliga when Xabi Alonso arrived in October 2022.

Ahead of Wednesday night's Europa League final against Atalanta in Dublin, Leverkusen's managing director Simon Rolfes sat down for an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News.

He reveals how they kept Alonso amid interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich, where in demand Florian Wirtz will play his next season and the reasons behind this extraordinary campaign.

"A lot of things have come together. There is an incredible team spirit and the guys have developed through the season. There have been difficult moments in some games and we kept pushing. We have a fantastic head coach and coaching staff and had good signings in the summer.

"The last window gave us the final pieces of the puzzle. We also saw young players from previous years develop. When we signed them in 2020/2021 as high potential players but they've developed into top players. This combination of things have made it possible to achieve our dream."

"It was very important because we missed that last season. The experienced players we had then got injured or started on the bench. This season some of our experienced players are also key players, like Granit Xhaka.

"He is in the heart of the team as a number six and connects the guys both on and off the pitch in a fantastic way. It's a good balance because the younger players keep pushing and bring energy."

"Granit Xhaka had a massive impact. With this signing you could feel the impact, the fans said 'wow'. Usually we sign younger players and develop them but to sign him from Arsenal was a real statement. The