Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday thrashed Werder Bremen 5-0 to be crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time in their 120-year history.
The victory moved Leverkusen 16 points clear of Bayern Munich – who have won the last 11 Bundesliga titles – with five games left to play.
It is also the first trophy Leverkusen have lifted since their German Cup victory in 1993.
Xabi Alonso’s side remain undefeated in all competitions and on course for a historic treble.
Leverkusen hold a 2-0 advantage over West Ham ahead of Thursday’s Europa League second leg and will face second-division Kaiserslautern in the German cup final.
A hat-trick from Florian Wirtz and goals from Victor Boniface and Granit Xhaka extended their unbeaten run to a stunning 43 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen’s maiden title, coming after five second-place finishes in their history, keeps their dream of a remarkable treble alive while shedding their unwanted ‘Neverkusen’ nickname for good.
With 10 minutes to go, the long-suffering fans began making their way to the sidelines and a few jumped the gun, storming the pitch with the match still ongoing.
Leverkusen’s players ushered the fans back and some obliged, albeit briefly, with the stands swiftly emptying on the 90-minute mark as tearful fans made their way onto the grass to celebrate with the players.
Leverkusen are now on 79 points – the best tally after 29 games in German league history – and are 16 clear of second-placed Bayern and third-placed Stuttgart.
The Leverkusen bus arrived at the stadium 90 minutes before kick-off, wading through a sea of fans clad in black and red on the way to the 30,000-capacity BayArena.
Normally known as Bismarck Street, fans had stuck temporary signs saying ‘Xabi Alonso Street’ along the main road in honour of the club’s coach.
Earlier on Sunday, a 36th-minute goal from Ritsu Doan took Freiburg to a 1-0 win at Darmstadt, pushing the last-placed hosts closer to immediate relegation.
Winless since October and with only two victories all year, the loss leaves Darmstadt dead last, eight points from second-last and 13 points from safety with five games remaining.
