Bayer Leverkusen

bayer leverkusen profile snabet
Trophies:
Europa League, Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup
Country:
Germany
City:
Leverkusen
League:
Bundesliga
Stadium:
BayArena
Founded:
1904
Main Colors:
Black, Red
  • Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title in 2023/24 and became the first club to complete an entire Bundesliga season unbeaten.
  • Bayer Leverkusen completed its first domestic double in 2024 by adding the DFB-Pokal to the Bundesliga championship.
  • Leverkusen won their first European trophy in 1988, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Espanyol before winning the UEFA Cup on penalties.
  • Bayer reached the 2002 UEFA Champions League final after eliminating Liverpool and Manchester United, losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in Glasgow.
  • Leverkusen went 51 consecutive matches unbeaten across all competitions in 2023/24, setting a record for clubs from Europe’s five major leagues.

Bayer Leverkusen History

Bayer Leverkusen were founded in 1904 after employees of the Bayer company sought support for the creation of a sports club in Leverkusen. The football section followed in 1907, establishing the foundations of the team that later became Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The club’s historic connection with Bayer AG produced the Werkself nickname, while black and red became the football team’s traditional colours.

Bayer Leverkusen spent much of their early history outside Germany’s leading national competition. A major breakthrough arrived in 1979 when the club earned promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time. Bayer gradually established themselves in the top division and began competing regularly for European qualification during the following decade.

Their first major trophy came in Europe. Leverkusen reached the 1988 UEFA Cup final against Espanyol and appeared to be in serious trouble after losing the first leg 3-0 in Barcelona. They produced a matching 3-0 victory in the return match in Germany before winning the penalty shootout 3-2. It remains the club’s first European trophy and one of the most notable comebacks in UEFA Cup history.

Domestic silverware followed in 1993. Bayer Leverkusen defeated the Hertha Berlin reserve team 1-0 in the DFB-Pokal final through an Ulf Kirsten goal. During the remainder of the decade, the club became a frequent contender near the top of the Bundesliga but repeatedly finished just short of the championship.

The 2001/02 season produced an unusual collection of near misses. Leverkusen challenged for the Bundesliga, reached the DFB-Pokal final and advanced to the UEFA Champions League final. Their European run included victories over Liverpool and Manchester United before a meeting with Real Madrid at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Lucio equalised after Raul had opened the scoring, but Zinedine Zidane’s famous volley gave Madrid a 2-1 victory. Leverkusen ended the campaign without a trophy despite competing for three major honours until its closing weeks.

The club remained a regular presence in European football during the following two decades. Players including Michael Ballack, Bernd Schneider, Dimitar Berbatov, Stefan Kiessling and later Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz became prominent figures during different periods. The BayArena, the club’s home since 1958, was extensively redeveloped and has a capacity of just over 30,000.

A new era began when Xabi Alonso became head coach in October 2022 with Bayer Leverkusen near the bottom of the Bundesliga. He guided them to sixth place and a Europa League semi-final in his first season before overseeing the most successful campaign in club history.

Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga championship in 2023/24 with 90 points. They recorded 28 victories and six draws, becoming the first team in Bundesliga history to complete an entire season without defeat. The championship ended Bayern Munich’s run of 11 consecutive German league titles.

Their unbeaten sequence extended to 51 competitive matches across all competitions, a record for a club from Europe’s five major leagues, before Atalanta defeated them 3-0 in the Europa League final in Dublin. Leverkusen nevertheless ended the season with another trophy. Granit Xhaka scored the only goal against Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final, completing the first league and cup double in the club’s history.

Bayer Leverkusen opened the following campaign by defeating VfB Stuttgart on penalties to win the 2024 German Super Cup. They finished second in the 2024/25 Bundesliga with 69 points before Alonso departed for Real Madrid.

The 2025/26 campaign proved more difficult. Under Kasper Hjulmand, Leverkusen reached the Champions League round of 16 and DFB-Pokal semi-finals but finished sixth in the Bundesliga with 59 points. That position secured qualification for the 2026/27 Europa League. In June 2026, the club appointed former Toulouse coach Carles Martinez Novell on a contract through 2028, beginning another managerial chapter two years after the unbeaten championship season.