Lukas Hradecky, the Finnish international goalkeeper, recently shared his thoughts with protothema.gr about his experiences facing the Greek national team and the impressive performance of Bayer Leverkusen. On May 18, 2024, the BayArena was transformed from a football stadium into a lively beer hall as fans celebrated Bayer Leverkusen’s historic first German championship, which they won undefeated.

A few minutes after the match against Augsburg, the atmosphere was filled with celebration. When Hradecky, the team captain, lifted the Bundesliga trophy, the city erupted in tears of joy as years of disappointment and nicknames like “Neverkusen” disappeared.

Last Saturday, the 34-year-old Finnish goalkeeper, whose roots are Slovakian, was in Athens with the Finnish national team for their Nations League opener against Greece. The Greek team won 3-0, with Hradecky making a crucial mistake leading to one of the goals. In an interview with protothema.gr after the match, Hradecky praised the Greek team and Fotis Ioannidis.

While younger colleagues avoided speaking to the media, Hradecky, the son of volleyball player Vladimir Hradecky, addressed all questions with a smile. He discussed both Bayer Leverkusen’s success and Xabi Alonso’s impact.

Reflecting on the game, Hradecky acknowledged that the Finnish team’s poor performance, starting with his mistake, led to their defeat. He praised Greece’s performance, stating that it was one of the best Greek teams he has faced and deserved to win.

Hradecky was particularly impressed by Ioannidis, who was new to him. While he knew of Greek players like Vlachodimos and Tsimikas, he was struck by the overall talent of the Greek team.

Regarding Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable season, Hradecky admitted it took time for him to fully appreciate their achievements. He noted that even during his vacation, people recognized him and expressed amazement at their success. He credited Xabi Alonso for instilling a winning mentality in the team, which helped them perform exceptionally well.

Hradecky also addressed the challenge of maintaining their top position this season, acknowledging that while they have experienced their first defeat, they are focused on their goals and the Champions League. He believes they can achieve great things this season despite the difficulties.

Describing Xabi Alonso, Hradecky highlighted his high energy, excellent communication with players, and the positive atmosphere he creates within the team. Alonso’s approach to training and his ability to motivate the players have been key to their success.

Hradecky expressed surprise at how quickly Leverkusen has achieved such success under Alonso’s leadership, reflecting on their previous interactions when Alonso was a player. He emphasized Alonso’s down-to-earth and hardworking nature, deserving of all the success with Leverkusen.