The strong Bayer 04 Leverkusen (also referred to as Bayer Leverkusen) is a professional football team in Germany that is headquartered in Leverkusen, Westphalia. The club which is rich with consistent development, success and competitiveness in domestic and international football was founded in 1904 by the employees of the Bayer pharmaceutical company.
Early Development and Origins.
The club is believed to have begun back in November 1903 when Wilhelm Hauschild and 180 of his workmates approached Bayer & Co. to ask them to sponsor a sports club. The company accepted this and Turn- und Spielverein Bayer 04 Leverkusen was founded on July 1, 1904. A football department was introduced to the club in 1907.
In 1928, the footballers, as a result of the in-fighting between the gymnasts and the footballers, came up with a separate association, which was named Sportvereinigung Bayer 04 Leverkusen (which was not exclusive and consisted of other sports, such as handball, athletics and boxing). This division enabled the football department to concentrate on the game only with the iconic colors of the club, red and black.
Most of the early days of the history of Bayer 04 Leverkusen were spent in the lower sections of the German football game. The club was promoted to the second-highest league in the year 1936, and in 1951 they were promoted to Oberliga West, which happened to be the top league at the time. They were however relegated in 1956. In 1962, just prior to the establishment of Bundesliga in 1963, the club got back to the higher leagues. Bayer 04 Leverkusen, which has been in existence since 1907, was finally promoted to the German top football league, the Bundesliga in 1979, and has been based there ever since.
Domestic Success
The domestic performance of Bayern Leverkusen will include:
- Bundesliga Champion: 1 title (2023-24 season)
- Winner DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2 titles (1992-93, 23-24)
- Team Titles (Germany): 1 German Super Cup 2024-25
- Bundesliga Champion: 1 title (1978–79)
The title won by the club at the Bundesliga 2023-24 was a historic one, and the club has struggled a long way to achieve a domestic success. They added to their domestic double as they also won the DFB-Pokal the same season beating Kaiserslautern 1-0 in the final.
European Endeavors
Bayer Leverkusen shows a significant involvement in European tournaments:
- Winner of Europa League (formerly UEFA Cup): 1 title (1987-88)
- UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 1 appearance (2001-2002)
- UEFA Europa League Runner up: 1 (2023-24) appearance.
The greatest European accomplishment of the club took place in the year 1988 when they were able to take home the UEFA cup defeating the Espanyol in a two legs final. In 2002, they qualified to the final of the UEFA champions league but lost out by a thin margin against Real Madrid. They made the final of the UEFA Europa League in the year 2024 where they were defeated by Atalanta.
Club Identity and Culture
Bayer Leverkusen is also known as Neverkusen owing to the near-misses on the major finals such as the 2002 champions league final, and the various Bundesliga losing titles. In spite of these near misses, the club has continued to have a reputation of hardiness and competitiveness. The disillusionment of an unmet potential and the respect of their ability to perform consistently on a high level is depicted in their nickname.
Playing Style & Strengths
- Attack: Philosophy Leverkusen has been known to be very dynamic and high-pressing in its attacking, with a focus on quick transfers and wing attacks.
- Youth Development: The club has one of the most fruitful academies in Germany and it regularly takes the youthful players to the first team.
- Counterpressing: One of the features of their play is violent counterpressing when the goal is to have the ball back as soon as possible.
Weaknesses & Challenges
- Defensive Weaknesses: Leverkusen has at times displayed weaknesses on the defensive side despite their offensive capability especially in terms of repelling.
- Managerial Instability: The club has had a history of managerial unsteadiness, and this time it is Xabi Alonso leaving in 2025 and his replacement by Erik ten Hag who was fired after only three games.
- Ineffective Performances: The recent games have indicated that there is a problem with translation of possession into clear cut scoring chances, which results in draws and lost points.
On-Field Controversies
- 2002 Final of the UEFA Champions League Loss.
The loss of Real Madrid to Leverkusen in the final of the 2002 UEFA champions league by a slim margin of 2 goals to one is a bitter experience that the fans are yet to overcome. The game was characterized by a goal scored by Zinedine Zidane late in the game and this destroyed the Leverkusen chances of winning their first European championship.
- Christoph Daum Cocaine Scandal, 2000.
In the year 2000, the manager at the time, Christoph Daum was sacked following claims that he had been in parties where cocaine was smoked. Daum strongly refuted the charges and went as far as to send his own hair to be tested which was later found to have traces of cocaine. Not only did this scandal cost him the chance to be the future coach of the German national team, but also he was fired.
- Roger Schmidt Referee Confrontation, 2016.
During one Bundesliga game in 2016, the coach of Leverkusen called referee Felix Zwayer a son of a whores. The event underscored the strains between the club and refereeing officials, which contribute to the scandals of the club in the field.
Off-Field Controversies
- Corporate Ownership Criticism.
The fact that Leverkusen is a club owned by a pharmaceutical company called Bayre is an issue that has attracted some criticism among fans and pundits. They have claimed that the club has an unfair advantage that is posed by its corporate backing, which they compare to other clubs whose ownership models are similar. This has given the feeling of making Leverkusen a “plastic” club that does not have the traditional fan-based ethos of most other Bundesliga clubs.
- 2025 Christian Kofane Transfer Dispute.
Bayer Leverkusen was legally threatened by Spanish club Albacete in 2025 when Leverkusen target Christian Kofane was training at a private football school in Spain. According to Albacete, Kofane had behaved in a manner that was disrespectful and he threatened to sue the company should the behavior persist. Kofane however had already been through a medical with Leverkusen despite the controversy and the move was to be done once his release clause was triggered.
Recent Developments
Bayer Leverkusen also won the 2024-25 season of the domestic league and the DFB-Pokal, the first time this had ever occurred in the history of the club. Nevertheless, they lost 3 -0 to Atalanta in the Europa League final. The team has demonstrated potential in the 2025-26 season coached by head coach Kasper Hjulmand who has led the team to a 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, despite the players playing the entire match with only nine players left.
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