With three goals in the 5:0 win against Werder Bremen, Florian Wirtz provided the sporting highlight of Leverkusen’s title win. At the subsequent champions’ party, the international followed this up with a pointed jab at FC Bayern
Florian Wirtz is not a man of big words. As extroverted as the 20-year-old is on the soccer pitch, he is just as reserved when he has to step in front of the microphone. When Wirtz speaks, no fireworks are to be expected – unlike during the 90 minutes.
However, when the team stepped onto the balcony of their box at 8.41 p.m. on Sunday evening, where they celebrated Bayer 04’s first German championship title after the 5-0 win against Werder Bremen, the German international provided a highlight of the roaring and singing interludes.
After the professionals, who showed themselves to their fans waiting inside the arena more than an hour after the end of the game, had decapitated rows of champagne bottles in the stands and captain Lukas Hradecky’s voice was obviously not the only one to be affected by the “Humba” chant, it was Wirtz’s turn. And made a fine point against the dethroned record champions from Munich.
Wirtz’s start at the microphone was almost dull. Everything had already been said by the previous speakers, he explained cautiously, before adding: “I’ve just had a song whispered to me that you don’t know yet.” And then Bayer’s creative director sang: “Germany’s best team. Germany’s best team. Germany’s best team, SVB!”
Wirtz’s “new” song was, of course, a clear reference to the Munich fan song “Münchens große Liebe. German soccer champions, FCB”. The Werkself fans joined in immediately. It was a stroke with a fine blade, reminiscent of that of the BVB fans in the 2012 DFB Cup final, when the Dortmund fans took a popular Munich battle cry for a ride and sang: “One shot, no goal – Bayern!”
in the final phase of the match, which BVB won 5:2.
It was Wirtz’s second highlight of the evening. He had previously scored a flawless hat-trick in the second 45 minutes after coming on at the break to increase the score from 2:0 to 5:0. The Bayer fans briefly stormed the pitch in championship frenzy after he made it 4-0 in the 83rd minute and then finally stormed the pitch after he made it 5-0 in the 90th minute.
Natural authority: Wirtz at least somewhat curbs the storming of the pitch by the fans
The natural authority of Wirtz became apparent after the 4:0. The professional, who is just 1.77 meters tall and weighs 71 kilograms, at least somewhat contained the stampede near the right corner flag with his gesture of outstretched arms and downward-facing palms to the euphoric fans. Only after his 5:0 was even he powerless and drowned in the cheering crowd.
Incidentally, his hat-trick was a double premiere for the 20-year-old. With his goals nine to eleven, he scored his first treble as a professional. It was also the first time – it’s hard to believe – that the exceptional footballer had scored more than one goal in a match in the Bundesliga. His hat-trick was the icing on Bayer’s championship cake. His vocal performance was the icing on the cake
