Klaus Toppmöller Management
The Werkself: From works team to Bundesliga champions.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, officially known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, is a German professional football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It competes in the Bundesliga and plays its home matches at the BayArena.
Quick Facts
- First appears
- 2001
Lore & Background
Founded in 1904 by employees of the paint factory, today better known as the 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 fans have had a deep friendship with supporters of Kickers Offenbach for almost 50 years.
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).
More in Club History & Eras
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