Europa League misery will not taint Alonso´s Leverkusen pride

Xabi Alonso will not allow Bayer Leverkusen s Europa League final defeat against Atalanta to alter his pride, after their historic 51-game unbeaten run ended on Wednesday.

The Bundesliga champions were eyeing an unlikely treble, with the DFB-Pokal final to come this weekend, but those plans came crashing down in a 3-0 loss to Atalanta.

Ademola Lookman single-handedly powered Gian Piero Gasperini s side to their first title in 61 years, producing an individual performance for the ages with a decisive hat-trick.

European heartbreak marked Leverkusen s first loss this season, with their last defeat coming to Bochum on the last day of the 2022-23 Bundesliga campaign, as Alonso s side were finally stopped.

Yet the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder …