Bayer 04 Leverkusen facts for kids
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| Full name | Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Die Werkself (The Factory XI) Die Schwarzroten (The Black and Reds) |
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| Founded | 1 July 1904 | |||
| Ground | BayArena | |||
| Capacity | 30,210 | |||
| Owner | Bayer AG | |||
| Chairman | Fernando Carro | |||
| Sporting director | Simon Rolfes | |||
| Coach | Xabi Alonso | |||
| League | Bundesliga | |||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga, 6th of 18 | |||
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen, usually called Bayer Leverkusen, is a professional football club from Leverkusen, Germany. They play in the Bundesliga, which is the top football league in Germany. Their home matches are played at the BayArena.
The club started in 1904. It was created by employees of the Bayer company, a famous pharmaceutical company. This is where the club gets its name. Bayer Leverkusen used to be part of a bigger sports club called TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen. This club had many different sports like athletics, gymnastics, basketball, and handball. In 1999, the football part became its own separate club. Bayer Leverkusen's main colours are red and black. Their biggest rivals include 1. FC Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Bayer Leverkusen joined the Bundesliga in 1979. They won their first major trophy, the UEFA Cup, in 1988. In 1993, they won their first German cup, the DFB Pokal. In 2002, the club finished second in three different competitions, including the UEFA Champions League. After many years without winning a trophy, the club had an amazing season in 2024. They won their first ever Bundesliga title and their second DFB Pokal. They were the first German team to win the league without losing a single game! They also set a new European record for the longest unbeaten run in all competitions, going 51 games without a defeat.
Contents
Club History
How it All Started
On 27 November 1903, a worker named Wilhelm Hauschild wrote a letter. He and 180 other workers asked their employer, the Friedrich Bayer and Co. company, to help them start a sports club. The company agreed! So, on 1 July 1904, the Turn- und Spielverein Bayer 04 Leverkusen was founded. It was like a sports team for the company's workers.
A few years later, in 1907, a separate football section was created within the club. Back then, there were often disagreements between gymnasts and other athletes. Because of this, the club split on 8 June 1928. The footballers formed their own group called Sportvereinigung Bayer 04 Leverkusen. This new group also included handball, fistball, athletics, and boxing. The footballers kept the club's traditional red and black colours.
Climbing the Ranks
During the 1930s, SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen played in the third and fourth divisions of German football. In 1936, they moved up to the second-highest league. This was also the year the club first wore the "Bayer" cross on their kits, which you can still see today. They reached the top league for the first time in 1951, playing in the Oberliga West. However, they were relegated in 1956.
The club returned to the top leagues in 1962. This was just one season before Germany started its new professional league, the Bundesliga. The next year, Bayer Leverkusen played in the Regionalliga West, which was the second division.
Reaching the Bundesliga and Winning Trophies
SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen made a big step forward in 1968 by winning their division title. But they couldn't get promoted to the first division yet. They were relegated again in 1973, but quickly returned to the second division, which was now called the 2. Bundesliga. Four years later, the club finally earned a spot in the Bundesliga. They started playing there in the 1979–80 season.
By the mid-1980s, Bayer Leverkusen was a strong team in the Bundesliga. In 1984, the two parts of the club that had split earlier came back together as TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V.. The new club chose red and white as its colours.
The club won its first big trophy in 1988: the UEFA Cup. In the final, they were losing 0–3 after the first game against Espanyol. But Bayer Leverkusen came back to tie the score in the second game and then won the title in a penalty shootout!
In 1993, the club won its next major trophy, the DFB-Pokal. They beat Hertha BSC's amateur team 1–0 in the final. After almost being relegated in 1996, Bayer Leverkusen became a very strong team. They played an exciting, attacking style of football under their new coach, Christoph Daum. They also signed great players like Lúcio, Emerson, Zé Roberto, and Michael Ballack.
The "Nearly Men" Years
From 1997 to 2002, the team finished second in the league four times. The seasons in 2000 and 2002 were especially tough for fans. In 2000, Bayer Leverkusen only needed a draw to win the Bundesliga title. But an own goal by Michael Ballack led to a 2–0 defeat, and Bayern Munich won the title instead.
Two years later, in 2002, the club was five points ahead in the league. But they lost two of their last three matches, and Borussia Dortmund won the title. The 2002 season was called the "Treble Horror" because Bayer Leverkusen also lost the DFB-Pokal final 4–2 to Schalke 04. And they lost the UEFA Champions League final 2–1 to Real Madrid. Because of these near misses, some people started calling them "Neverkusen".
Recent Years and Xabi Alonso's Success
After the 2002 season, key players like Michael Ballack and Zé Roberto left the club. The team went through several coaches. In 2005, Rudi Völler, a former Germany national team manager, became the sporting director. He helped the club improve and qualify for European competitions again.
In October 2022, the club was struggling and close to the relegation zone. That's when Xabi Alonso, a famous former player, was appointed as head coach. This was his first time managing a senior team. He successfully guided the team to safety and a sixth-place finish.
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The 2023–24 season was incredible for Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso. They signed important players like Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, Jonas Hofmann, and Alejandro Grimaldo. Early in 2024, they broke club and Bundesliga records for the longest unbeaten start to a season. They then broke the European record for the longest unbeaten run in all competitions, going 51 games without a loss!
On 14 April 2024, Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title for the first time ever, beating Werder Bremen 5–0. This ended Bayern Munich's streak of 11 league titles in a row. It was Leverkusen's first trophy since 1993. On 9 May 2024, they set a new record for the longest unbeaten run in European football history (51 matches). They finished the league season without losing a single game, which was a first for any club in the Bundesliga! Their amazing unbeaten streak finally ended in their 52nd game, when they lost 3–0 to Atalanta in the Europa League final. However, they still won the 2024 DFB-Pokal final by beating 1. FC Kaiserslautern, completing a domestic double (winning both the league and the main cup). At the start of the new season on 17 August 2024, they also won the 2024 DFL-Supercup for the first time.
Club Logos Through the Years
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1923–1928
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1928–1938
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1948–1965
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1965–1970
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1970–1976
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1976–1984
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1984–1990
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1990–1996
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Since 1996
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Club Culture
Unlike many other German football clubs that are closely linked to their working-class history, Bayer Leverkusen tries to have a clean, family-friendly image. The BayArena stadium is known for being one of the most family-friendly football stadiums in Germany.
Because Bayer Leverkusen was started by a big company, some fans of older, more traditional clubs sometimes call them a "plastic club." They mean that the club might not have as much history or a strong fan base compared to clubs that grew from local communities. These critics say Bayer Leverkusen exists only because of its rich sponsor, Bayer AG.
However, the club and its fans are proud of their industrial beginnings. They often call themselves "Werkself" (which means "Factory Eleven" or "Factory team") or "Pillendreher" (meaning "Tablet Twisters"). These nicknames show their connection to the Bayer company.
It's important to remember that many clubs around the world started in a similar way, like PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Bayer Leverkusen was formed to help improve the lives of local factory workers in the early 1900s. Because of this history, UEFA (European football's governing body) allows Bayer Leverkusen to use the "Bayer" brand name in European competitions.
Helping Others
In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bayer Leverkusen joined with three other big German clubs: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and RB Leipzig. Together, they gave €30 million to help other Bundesliga teams that were having financial difficulties.
Club Achievements
Domestic Titles
League
- Bundesliga
- 2. Bundesliga North
- Winners: 1978–79
Cup Competitions
- DFB-Pokal
- Winners: 1992–93, 2023–24
- Runners-up: 2001–02, 2008–09, 2019–20
- DFL-Supercup
- Winners: 2024
- Runners-up: 1993
European Titles
- UEFA Champions League
- Runners-up: 2001–02
- UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
- Winners: 1987–88
- Runners-up: 2023–24
Youth Team Achievements
- German Under 19 Championship
- Winners: 1986, 2000, 2007
- German Under 17 Championship
- Winners: 1992, 2016
Current Players
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Club Records
Players in bold are currently playing for the team.
Most Appearances for Leverkusen
| Rank | Nat. | Player | Period | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Rüdiger Vollborn | 1982–1999 | 487 |
| 2 | |
Thomas Hörster | 1977–1991 | 453 |
| 3 | |
Ulf Kirsten | 1990–2003 | 448 |
| 4 | |
Stefan Kießling | 2006–2018 | 444 |
| 5 | |
Carsten Ramelow | 1996–2008 | 437 |
| 6 | |
Simon Rolfes | 2005–2015 | 377 |
| 7 | |
Gonzalo Castro | 2005–2015 | 370 |
| 8 | |
Bernd Schneider | 1999–2009 | 366 |
| 9 | |
Jonathan Tah | 2015–present | 353 |
| 10 | |
Lars Bender | 2009–2021 | 342 |
Top Goal Scorers
| Rank | Nat. | Player | Period | Goals Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Ulf Kirsten | 1990–2003 | 240 |
| 2 | |
Stefan Kießling | 2006–2018 | 162 |
| 3 |  |
Dimitar Berbatov | 2001–2006 | 91 |
| 4 | |
Herbert Waas | 1982–1990 | 87 |
| 5 | |
Christian Schreier | 1984–1991 | 83 |
| 6 |  |
Paulo Sérgio | 1993–1997 | 64 |
| 7 |  |
Cha Bum-Kun | 1983–1989 | 63 |
| 8 |  |
Lucas Alario | 2017–2022 | 58 |
| 9 | |
Karim Bellarabi | 2011–2023 | 57 |
| 10 | |
Oliver Neuville | 1999–2004 | 56 |
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Xabi Alonso |
| Assistant coach | Sebastián Parrilla Alberto Encinas |
| Goalkeeper coach | David Thiel |
| Fitness coach | Markus Müller Jonas Rath Schahriar Bigdeli Daniel Jouvin |
| Analysis | Marcel Daum |
| Analyst first-team squad | Simon Lackmann |
| Head of sports science and Athletics | Malte Krüger |
| Licence Coordination | Stefan Kießling |
| Team Doctor | Karl-Heinrich Dittmar Burak Yildirim Philipp Ehrenstein |
| Physiotherapist | Fritz Gard Florian Kroder Manuel Schardt Tobias Schäuble |
| Support Staff | Martin Kowatzki Christian Becker Markus Irmer |
| Team Manager | Hans-Peter Lehnhoff |
Other Sections
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen (women) (The women's football team)
- TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen (handball) (The women's handball team)
- Bayer Giants Leverkusen (basketball) (The basketball team)
- Leverkusen (The city where the club is based)
