1988 UEFA Cup Final Run

Lore & Background

Founded in 1904 by employees of the paint factory, today better known as a pharmaceutical company Bayer, the club was formerly a department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen sports club. In 1999, the football department was separated from the sports club. Bayer Leverkusen's main colours are red and black, and their main rival is 1. FC Köln, while the fans have had a deep friendship with the supporters of Kickers Offenbach for almost 50 years.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the BayArena pitch as Horst Hrubesch gathered his teammates before the semi-final second leg. The air was thick with the scent of wet grass and anticipation; they had already beaten Inter once, but the return to Milan loomed like a mountain. 'We are not just a factory team,' Lattek's voice cut through the noise in the tunnel. 'Tonight, we prove we belong.' As the whistle blew, the roar of 15,000 fans echoed off the stadium walls, a sound that would define a generation of Leverkusen supporters who believed anything was possible.

Reader's Guide

Bayer Leverkusen were promoted to the Bundesliga in 1979 and won their maiden top-flight honor, the UEFA Cup, in 1988. The club won its first domestic honour, the DFB Pokal, in 1993. The club finished runners-up across three competitions in 2002, including the UEFA Champions League. After over 30 years without silverware, the club won their first Bundesliga title and their second DFB Pokal in 2024, becoming the first German team to win the league or domestic double unbeaten, while setting the European record for consecutive unbeaten competitive games (51).

Did You Know?

• The club was founded by employees of a paint factory that later became the pharmaceutical company Bayer.
• Bayer Leverkusen's main rival is 1. FC Köln.
• The club lost the 1988 UEFA Cup Final to Inter Milan 0-6 on aggregate, finishing as runners-up.
• Bayer Leverkusen's first top-flight honor was the DFB-Pokal in 1993.
• In 2024, Bayer Leverkusen became the first German team to win the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal unbeaten.