BayArena

Lore & Background

The stadium was originally known as Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, named after a former chairman of Bayer AG, the club's founders. Its original capacity was 20,000. In 1986, a rebuilding project began to convert it into a modern facility; the project continued over the following decade and was completed in 1997, creating a modern all-seater stadium with a capacity of 22,500. The stadium was renamed BayArena in 1998. The former name was then used for the youth team stadium next to it. In 1999, a hotel attached to the stadium was completed, with some rooms having a view of the pitch. The stadium complex also includes a restaurant, which also overlooks the pitch, and conference facilities. The city of Leverkusen originally bid to become a venue for the 2006 World Cup, with an expanded Bay Arena as the site. However, the city, Bayer Leverkusen, and the German organizing committee soon agreed that expanding Bay Arena to the FIFA-mandated minimum 40,000 capacity for World Cup matches would not be practical, and the city withdrew its bid. Instead, it was agreed that Bay Arena would be the main training facility for the German national team during the 2006 finals. Jürgen Klinsmann, former national coach, however decided against Leverkusen and opted for Berlin as the main training facility. As compensation, BayArena would supposedly host two national matches, though they were never played. On 30 March 2007 Bayer AG agreed on the extension of the stadium to a capacity of over 30,000. Construction works began end of 2007 and were expected to be finished at the beginning of the 2009–10 season. On 30 September 2008, Bay Arena was selected as one of nine venues to be used during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup to house three group and one quarterfinal match.

In Their Own Story

Rain slicked the grass under the floodlights as the clock ticked past ninety minutes. The Südkurve roared, a unified voice rising above the drumbeats that echoed off the concrete walls of the BayArena. Inside the tunnel, players could feel the vibration of thirty thousand hearts beating in rhythm with their own. It was not just about the scoreline; it was about the weight of history pressing down from the stands, where generations had cheered for this specific patch of turf.

Reader's Guide

The stadium's design was based on the then Ruhrstadium in Bochum. It is a steep single-tier football stadium without a running track. The expansion and renovation of 2007–2009 added a second tier over the east, north and west sections, new VIP suites between the two tiers, a new oval roof covering all seats as well as the complete rebuild of the club's main facilities in the west section. It also saw the reintroduction of pure standing areas for the home supporters in the corner north/east. After summer 2013, the pure standing area was stretched over the complete first rows of the north section of the stadium.

Did You Know?

• The stadium was originally named Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion after a former chairman of Bayer AG.
• The stadium was selected as a venue for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, hosting three group matches and one quarterfinal.