When Xabi Alonso was appointed Bayer Leverkusen head coach back in October 2022, no one would have imagined what the next 18 months or so had in store.
The former Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder was taking charge of a club that found itself languishing down in 17th in the Bundesliga.
But fast forward to today and the west German side are in Dublin looking to win their second ever UEFA Cup/Europa League crown.
Not only that but they have made German football history by winning a maiden league title unbeaten, becoming the first Bundesliga side to complete an Invincible season.
Should they beat Atalanta in tonight's Europa League decider at the Aviva Stadium - officially billed as the Dublin Arena for the occasion - and then follow that up by beating second tier Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final at the weekend, then an unprecedented invincible treble is very much theirs.
It's even more remarkable that Bayer Leverkusen are on the verge of doing so, considering that since they were founded in 1904, they have almost exclusively endured pain at final hurdles - 2001-02 standing out most when they finished runners-up in the league, cup and Champions League - and only had one German Cup from 1993 and the 1988 UEFA Cup in their trophy cabinet.
Honorary Meath man Alonso has turned their fortunes around and Lisburn, Co Antrim native Gareth Houston has witnessed the burgeoning growth at the club first-hand.
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A classical musician by profession, Cologne-based Houston also works as an English and French language tour guide at the club's home ground the BayArena and before flying out to Dublin with his fellow Leverkusen fans, he joined the RTÉ Soccer Podcast this week to share an insight into life behind-the-scenes at a club enjoying its finest moments, how important Bayer 04 are to the city and the wider region, and what 2010 World Cup winner Alonso had to say to him about his GAA exploits whilst living in Kells as a teenage exchange student.
Watch or listen to the full interview with Gareth Houston below.
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
