Officially known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and better known as Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, it was founded in 1904 by employees of the paint factory, better known today as the pharmaceutical company Bayer, whose headquarters are in Leverkusen and from which the club takes its name.
However, until 1930, Wiesdorf was the birthplace of Bayer 04, and Leverkusen only the district where the factories and workers’ housing were located.
In 1930, Wiesdorf and the neighboring municipalities merged into a new city named Leverkusen, reflecting the importance of the factory to the region.
As usual in Germany, the club used to be a department of sports club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, but in 1999 the football department was separated from the sports club.
The rise of Leverkusen lasted three quarters of a century. They were only promoted to the Bundesliga in 1979. Their first trophy, the UEFA Cup, was won in 1988 when they defeated RCD Espanol by three goals to two on penalties. Trailing 3–0 from the first leg at the Estadi de Sarria, Leverkusen left it late in the return leg, scoring three goals in the second half to set up the penalty shootout at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion (later renamed the Bay Arena).
The club won its first domestic honour, the DFB Pokal, in 1993 with a solitary goal victory over second-string Hertha Berlin, who had made it to the final despite playing in the third tier, the first and only time a reserve side has progressed so far in the competition.
After almost being relegated in 1996, Leverkusen enjoyed a run of four second-place finishes from 1997 to 2002.
Most notably, the team had the Bundesliga title within their grasp in 2000 and 2002. In 2000, Leverkusen only needed a draw against SpVgg Unterhaching to win the title, but lost 2–0, with Bayern Munich taking away the title with a 3–1 win over Werder Bremen. Two years later, Leverkusen gave up a five-point lead by losing two of their last three games, this time Borussia Dortmund clinched the title in a dramatic finale to the season.
The 2002 season was dubbed the ‘Treble Horror’ as Leverkusen were also defeated 4–2 in the DFB-Pokal final by Schalke 04, and also lost the Champions League final at Hampden Park when Zinedine Zidane scored a superb volley for Real Madrid in a 2–1 win that secured the Spanish club’s ninth European Cup.
For five members of the Bayer Leverkusen team, the ordeal continued into 2002, Carsten Ramelow, Bernd Schneider, Michael Ballack, Oliver Neuville and Has-Jorg Butt were also members of the German national team that lost the World Cup final against Brazil in Yokohama.
The following season, of course, saw Newcastle United paired with Leverkusen in the second group stage of the Champions League, doing the double over the Germans and winning both matches 3-1.
In the away match, with Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy both suspended, United’s makeshift attacking force of Shola Ameobi and Lomano LuaLua scored three goals in the first half as Leverkusen were blown away. A week later Shearer was back and scored a hat-trick for Leazes End before half-time.
After coming so close at the turn of the century, Bayer Leverkusen only returned to such heights when Xabi Alonso was appointed head coach in October 2022. In his first senior management role, Alonso led the team to safety and a sixth-place finish in the 2022/2023 season.
The following season saw unprecedented success as Leverkusen set a new club record for longest unbeaten start to a season, followed by breaking the Bundesliga record for longest unbeaten run, before breaking the European record among Europe’s “top 5 leagues” (Bundesliga, Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A), with 43 matches without defeat.
In April 2024, Leverkusen were crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time ever after beating Werder Bremen 5–0, ending Bayern Munich’s run of 11 consecutive league titles.
In May 2024, Bayer Leverkusen then set a new record for the longest streak without a loss in European football after a 2–2 draw against Roma, clinching a place in the Europa League final. Although the club finished the league season unbeaten (the first club in the Bundesliga to do so), their remarkable unbeaten run ended in their 52nd match of the season when they inexplicably lost 3–0 in the Europa League final to Bergamo. Atalanta. However, Leverkusen won the 2024 DFB-Pokal final by beating FC Kaiserslautern to secure a domestic double.
The Bundesliga title was transferred to Bayern Munich the following season, with Bayern also beating Leverkusen 5–0 in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Alonso left the club at the end of last season to replace Carlo Ancelotti as manager of Real Madrid and in May 2025, Leverkusen announced that former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag would be his replacement. Ten Hag’s tenure was an unmitigated disaster as the Dutchman reportedly failed to get in touch with anyone at the club. He lasted just three league games before leaving and Kasper Hjulmand taking charge in September.
Michaela, Matt, Hanna and Anth at Düsseldorf airport on their way to the Bayer Leverkusen match
So far this season, Bayer Leverkusen has made a respectable start. He is currently fourth in the Bundesliga, in the slipstream of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, but quite a distance from leaders Bayern Munich.
Bayer’s Champions League season has seen two wins, two draws and a solitary defeat, a 7-2 defeat at home to PSG. With both victories coming at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon and the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, there is no doubt that Leverkusen are a threat, although it is worth remembering that Newcastle United recently humiliated both Benfica and Manchester City at St James’ Park.
Given that Newcastle United have now taken the monkey off their backs with a win at Dickinson Hill, it is clear that we can win away from home, as was of course the case when we traveled to Belgium and thrashed Union SG aside on matchday two of the Champions League.
I therefore consider this a winnable match and I would bet that Eddie’s boys will match the class of 2002 on Wednesday night.
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