Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer 04 Leverkusen, officially known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, is a German professional football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga and plays its home matches at the BayArena, which has a capacity of 30,210. Its main colors are red and black, reflecting the corporate heritage of its founding company, Bayer.

Founded on July 1, 1904, by employees of the Bayer paint factory (now a pharmaceutical giant), the club was originally a department of the multi-sport club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The football section separated in 1999. For decades, Leverkusen was known as "Vizekusen" for its frequent runner-up finishes, including a painful treble of near-misses in 2002 when they finished second in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and UEFA Champions League. That changed dramatically in the 2023–24 season under coach Xabi Alonso, when the club won its first Bundesliga title, becoming the first German team to go unbeaten in a top-flight season (28 wins, 6 draws). They also captured the DFB-Pokal and reached the Europa League final, setting a European record with a 51-match unbeaten run across all competitions.

The club's main rivalry is with 1. FC Köln in the Rheinland Derby. A longstanding friendship with supporters of Kickers Offenbach has endured for nearly 50 years. Leverkusen's fan base is known for its loyalty through decades without major silverware, culminating in massive celebrations after the 2024 title win.[edit]

Bayer Leverkusen was founded in 1904 by employees of the Bayer paint factory. The football department played in lower divisions until earning promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979. The club's first major trophy came in 1988, winning the UEFA Cup by defeating Espanyol. Their first domestic honor, the DFB-Pokal, followed in 1993. The 2001–02 season was a heartbreak: Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga, lost the DFB-Pokal final to Schalke 04, and fell to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, with Zinedine Zidane's iconic volley deciding the match. Key players from that era included Michael Ballack, Bernd Schneider, and Ulf Kirsten.

After a 30-year trophy drought, the club's fortunes reversed under Xabi Alonso, who took over in October 2022. In 2023–24, Leverkusen became the first Bundesliga team to complete a season unbeaten, winning the league with 90 points. They also beat Kaiserslautern 1–0 in the DFB-Pokal final and reached the Europa League final, where they lost 3–0 to Atalanta, ending their 51-match unbeaten streak. The club started the 2024–25 season by winning the DFL-Supercup against VfB Stuttgart, but faced early disappointment with a DFB-Pokal exit to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld.[edit]