Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football club
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, officially known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH (Template:IPA) and commonly known as Bayer Leverkusen or simply Leverkusen, is a German professional football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It competes in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, and plays its home matches at the BayArena.<ref name="BayArena" /><ref name="Club Data">Template:Cite web</ref>
Founded in 1904 by employees of the paint factory, today better known as a pharmaceutical company Bayer (whose headquarters are in Leverkusen and from which the club draws its name), the club was formerly a department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen sports club whose members participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball, field and handball. In 1999, the football department was separated from the sports club.<ref name="Club Data" /> Bayer Leverkusen's main colours are red and black, which feature across their playing kits and badge, and their main rival is 1. FC Köln,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the fans have a deep friendship with the supporters of Kickers Offenbach for almost 50 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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,<ref name="BL2324">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Bayer 04 Honours">Template:Cite web</ref> becoming the first German team to win the league or domestic double unbeaten, while setting the European record for consecutive unbeaten competitive games (51).
History
Origins and early years
On 27 November 1903, Wilhelm Hauschild wrote a letter – signed by 180 of his fellow workers – to his employer, the Friedrich Bayer and Co., seeking the company's support in starting a sports club.<ref name="Early years">Template:Cite web</ref> The company agreed to support the initiative, and on 1 July 1904 Turn- und Spielverein Bayer 04 Leverkusen was founded as a works team.<ref name="Early years" /> On 31 May 1907, a separate football department was formed within the club.<ref name="Early years" /> In the culture of sports in Germany at the time, there was significant animosity between gymnasts and other types of athletes. Eventually this contributed to a split within the club: on 8 June 1928, the footballers formed a separate association – Sportvereinigung Bayer 04 Leverkusen – that also included the handball and fistball players, athletics, and boxing, while the gymnasts carried on as TuS Bayer 04 Leverkusen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen took with them the club's traditional colours of red and black, with the gymnasts adopting blue and yellow after a while. Until 1930, Wiesdorf was the hometown of Bayer 04, and Leverkusen was merely the district where the factories and workers' housing were located. In 1930, Wiesdorf and the neighboring municipalities merged to form a new town. They named it Leverkusen because of the factory's importance, among other things, for the community's growth. Thus, the club now bore the name of its city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Through this period, and into the 1930s, SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen played third and fourth division football.<ref name="Bayer emblem" /> In 1936, they earned promotion to the second highest class of play of the period.<ref name="Bayer emblem">Template:Cite web</ref> That was also the year that the club wore the "Bayer" cross, still visible on their kits, for the first time.<ref name="Bayer emblem" /> They made their first appearance in upper league play in 1951, in the Oberliga West and played there until 1956, after which they were relegated.
SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen would not return to the upper leagues until 1962, just one season before the formation of Germany's new professional league, the Bundesliga. The next year saw the club in the Regionalliga West, tier II.
2. Bundesliga to Bundesliga, UEFA Cup, and DFB-Pokal
After not having been among the top teams in the second-tier Regionalliga SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen made something of a breakthrough in 1968 by sensationally winning the division title (with only 15 men in the squad), but was unable to advance to the playoff round to the first division. The club was relegated again in 1973, but made a quick return to what was now called the 2. Bundesliga after just one season spent in the third division. Four years later, the club secured a place in the Bundesliga to start to play there in the 1979–80 season.
By the mid-1980s, SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen had become established in the upper half of the league table and was well-established there by the end of the decade. It was during this time, in 1984, that the two halves of the club that had parted ways over a half century earlier were re-united as TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V. The new club took red and white as its colours. Although the football department officially retained the colors black and red, the "Werkself" played in red and white for the next ten years.
In addition to becoming an established Bundesliga side, the club earned its first honours with a win in the 1988 UEFA Cup. Down 0–3 to Espanyol after the first leg of the final, Bayer Leverkusen drew even in the return match and then won the title on penalty kicks, 3–2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Leverkusen UEFA">Template:Cite web</ref>
That same year, long-time Bayer Leverkusen executive Reiner Calmund became the general manager of the club. The decade and a half following this saw club's greatest successes.
After the German reunification in 1990, Reiner Calmund was quick to sign prominent East German players Ulf Kirsten and Andreas Thom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After they were able to sign Matthias Sammer, who later became a world footballer, Chancellor Helmut Kohl vetoed the deal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Calmund also established contacts in Brazilian football, befriending Juan Figer, one of Brazil's most powerful player agents.Template:Citation needed Over the next fewTemplate:Quantify years, budding superstars,Template:Tone inline such as Jorginho and Paulo Sérgio, joined the team. The club also signed famous older german successful players, such as Bernd Schuster, and Rudi Völler, helping to ensure the team's popularityTemplate:According to whom and growing success.
The club won its next major honour in 1993 with a 1–0 win in the DFB-Pokal final against Hertha BSC second team (amateur squad) on 12 June 1993.<ref name="Leverkusen UEFA" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the following season, in a game in which Schuster scored a 45 m "German Goal of the Year" (a goal which was later also named "Goal of the Decade"). Template:Commons
After the club had almost been relegated in 1996 they regularly found themselves among the top three of the league under new coach Christoph Daum. In the next years they sign players such as Lúcio, Emerson, Zé Roberto and Michael Ballack. Daum was later fired for a cocaine scandal that also cost him his ascent to the role of the Germany national team coach.Template:Vague<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
"Neverkusen"
Leverkusen earned a series of four second-place finishes from 1997 to 2002. Most notably, the team had the Bundesliga title within their grasp in 2000 and 2002.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2000, Leverkusen needed only a draw against SpVgg Unterhaching to win the title, but an own goal by Michael Ballack helped send the team to a heart-wrenching 2–0 defeat, while Bayern Munich won the title with a 3–1 victory over Werder Bremen. Two years later, the club surrendered a five-point lead atop the league table by losing two of its last three matches, while Borussia Dortmund swept aheadTemplate:Tone inline with three consecutive victories in its final matches. The 2002 season has been dubbedTemplate:By whom the "Treble Horror", as Leverkusen were also beaten 4–2 in the DFB-Pokal final by Schalke 04 and lost the UEFA Champions League final 2–1 to Real Madrid, which also led to some of the English-language media dubbing them "Neverkusen".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Leverkusen was the first team to reach the final of the Champions League without ever having won a national championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, five members of the Bayer Leverkusen team were also members of the Germany national team which lost the final of the World Cup of 2002.
Subsequent years
In the 2002 off-season, the team sold midfielders Michael Ballack and Zé Roberto to Bayern Munich. Klaus Toppmöller, who had coached the team during its most successful year, was replaced by Thomas Hörster.Template:Citation needed Klaus Augenthaler managed the last two games of the season with a win over his previous club, 1. FC Nürnberg.Template:Citation needed Bayer Leverkusen finished at a third-place finish and a Champions League place the following year.
That following season's run in the Champions League saw the club open its group stage campaign with a 3–0 win against Real Madrid<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a result which helped Leverkusen to win the group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leverkusen, however, was defeated in the first knockout round by eventual champions Liverpool.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The club finished sixth during the 2004–05 season to qualify for the next season's UEFA Cup.
Early in 2005, Augenthaler was fired as manager after the club got offTemplate:Tone inline to its worst Bundesliga start in over 20 years, with only one win in its first four league matches and a 0–1 home loss to CSKA Sofia in the first leg of its UEFA Cup match-up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Former Germany national team manager Rudi Völler, who had been named sporting director prior to the season, took charge of five matches as caretaker manager.Template:Vague<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="New Millennium">Template:Cite web</ref> Michael Skibbe, who was Völler's assistant coach with the national team, was named as his successor in October 2005.<ref name="New Millennium" /> Skibbe turned Leverkusen's season around,Template:Tone inlineTemplate:Vague and guided the club to a sixth-place finish in 2006, earning another UEFA Cup place, and then repeated that feat with a fifth place Bundesliga finish in 2007.<ref name="New Millennium" />
The 2007–08 season was not a successful one for Leverkusen despite a good start to the season; five out of the last ten league matches were lost to clubs in the lower half of the table.Template:Citation needed Michael Skibbe was heavily criticisedTemplate:By whom towards the end of the season after he continuously changed his starting line up.Template:Citation needed Bayer Leverkusen also lost a lotTemplate:Quantify of its support towards the end of the season: in the 1–2 home loss against Hertha BSC, the Leverkusen fans caused much commotion, with fans chanting for the sacking of Skibbe, while some Ultras, who had seen enough,Template:Vague set fire to their jerseys and threw them onto the field. Michael Skibbe was sacked soon thereafter, leaving the club on 21 May 2008, with club officials stating that his departure was due to the team not qualifying for the following season's UEFA Cup group stage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2008–09 season got off to a great startTemplate:According to whom for Bayer Leverkusen under new manager Bruno Labbadia, who the club had acquired from 2. Bundesliga club SpVgg Greuther Fürth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As the season progressed, however, the team secured no wins against topTemplate:Vague clubs in the Bundesliga. However, Leverkusen reached the DFB-Pokal final on 30 May 2009 in Berlin, but lost the game 0–1 to Werder Bremen.<ref name="New Millennium" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leverkusen finished the season in ninth place in the Bundesliga table and Labbadia moved to Hamburger SV in June 2009.Template:Vague<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly thereafter,Template:When Leverkusen presented Jupp Heynckes, who had previously managed Bayern Munich after Jürgen Klinsmann's departure, as its new manager.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2010–11 season, Bayer Leverkusen finished as runner-up, thus qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2005. However, Heynckes decided not to extend his contract and left Bayer Leverkusen in the 2011 close season to take over at Bayern Munich for a third time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 2012–13 and 2015–16 seasons, Leverkusen finished third with coach Sami Hyypiä and Roger Schmidt respectively, but were knocked out in the round of 16 of the Champions League the following season both times. In the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, Leverkusen reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2008,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but were ultimatelyTemplate:Vague knocked out by Inter Milan in a 2–1 loss.
From Neverkusen to "Neverlusen": Xabi Alonso's unbeaten run
In October 2022, with the club in the relegation zone, Leverkusen appointed Xabi Alonso as head coach in his first senior managerial role; he went on to guide the team to safety and a sixth-placed finish.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023–24, Alonso's first full season in charge, Leverkusen achieved significant domestic and European milestones, bolstered by effective squad building and strategic signings including Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, Jonas Hofmann, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Matej Kovar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By early 2024, they had set a new club record for the longest unbeaten start to a season followed by breaking the Bundesliga record (formerly held by Hamburger SV since the 1982–83 season) for the longest unbeaten run by a club in all competitions with 26 games unbeaten<ref>Template:Citation</ref> followed by breaking the European record of the European "top 5 leagues" (Bundesliga, Premier League, Primera División, Ligue 1, Serie A) set by Juventus in 2011 and 2012 of 43 cross-competitive compulsory games in a row without defeat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 14 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 successive league titles.<ref name="BL2324"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was the club's first trophy since winning the 1992–93 DFB-Pokal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 9 May 2024, Leverkusen set a new record for the longest run of matches without a loss in European football history (since the introduction of UEFA club competitions) following a 2–2 draw against Roma in the Europa League; they broke the previous record of 48 set by Benfica between 1963 and 1965.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leverkusen then finished the league season unbeaten, the first club in the Bundesliga to do so.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their unbeaten streak ended in their 52nd game of the season with a hat trick by Ademola Lookman giving them a 3–0 loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final.<ref name="EL24">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They won the 2024 DFB-Pokal final by beating 1. FC Kaiserslautern to win the domestic double.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At the start of the new season on 17 August 2024, the team won the DFL-Supercup for the first time ever beating VfB Stuttgart after penalties. However, their domestic unbeaten streak ended on 31 August 2024 after a 3–2 defeat to RB Leipzig.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This led to a less successful season for Leverkusen as the club relinquished the Bundesliga title back to Bayern Munich who also beat them 5–0 on aggregate in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Leverkusen also lost in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal to third-tier side Arminia Bielefeld leaving them with the DFL-Supercup as their only trophy of the season. Xabi Alonso departed the club at the end of the season to replace Carlo Ancelotti as manager of Real Madrid.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Post-Alonso era (2025-present)
On 26 May 2025, Leverkusen announced former Manchester United and Ajax manager Erik ten Hag would replace Alonso as head coach, with Ten Hag starting his job on 1 July 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year, on 1 September, Ten Hag was sacked after only two league matches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kasper Hjulmand was named as his replacement on September 8, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Logo history
-
1923–1928
-
1928–1938
-
1948–1965
-
1965–1970
-
1970–1976
-
1976–1984
-
1984–1990
-
1990–1996
-
Since 1996
.png){kind=link}
.gif){kind=link}
.gif){kind=link}
.gif){kind=link}
.gif){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
Club culture
The 50+1 rule in German football states that a club must hold at least 50 percent of the voting rights plus one vote in its spun-off corporation in order to maintain control. The goal is to limit the influence of external investors and protect the club's structure. However, there are two exceptions: Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg. Because these clubs were founded as works clubs and the corresponding companies supported the club financially, among other things, for many decades, the football department of Bayer 04 was spun off from the overall club in 1999 and has been a subsidiary of Bayer AG ever since. This allows to offset financial losses at the end of a fiscal year, but also requires profits to be transferred.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
However, a ruling by the Federal Cartel Office from 2025 identifies a need for improvements regarding the exemptions. Therefore, it can be assumed that the German Football League (DFL) will demand more say for the parent club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V. in the future, or that members will have to be more closely involved in other ways.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bayer 04 was the first Bundesliga club whose fans identified themselves as Ultras.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Even though the club was founded at the beginning of the 20th century on the initiative of the employees and even aldo had roots as a works club in the socialist-influenced workers' sports movement (the workers' sports club Germania Wiesdorf [unique example of a socialist workers sports club that was supported by a factory] was absorbed into TUS Bayer 04 after being banned by the National Socialists),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> many fans of other clubs criticise Bayer Leverkusen as being a "plastic club", existing solely as a creation of their rich pharmaceutical company sponsor – Bayer AG.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a result, the club and their fans have started to emphasize their industrial origins with pride, calling themselves "Werkself" (Eng. "Company Eleven", "Factory team", "Millhanders") or "Pillendreher" (Eng. "Tablet twisters").<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bayer Leverkusen's corporate origins, however, are far from unique. Other clubs, including PSV, FC Carl Zeiss Jena, Arsenal F.C., West Ham United F.C. and Stade de Reims also founded as works teams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, it is often forgotten that until 1999, the football department of Bayer 04 was part of the still existing parent club TSV Bayer 04 e.V. in accordance with the 50+1 rule, which has since become one of the most successful sports clubs in Germany. As distinguished from the various Red Bull teams (Salzburg, New York and Leipzig) which were established or redefined in the early 21st century primarily for commercial reasons, the formation of Bayer Leverkusen was motivated by the idea of promoting the living conditions of local factory workers early in the 20th century. In view of this tradition, UEFA allows Bayer Leverkusen to use the brand name Bayer in European club competitions, while disallowing such naming practices, most notably to Red Bull Salzburg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Charity
In March 2020, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and RB Leipzig, the four German UEFA Champions League teams for the 2019–20 season, collectively gave €30 million to Bundesliga and to Bundesliga teams that were struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Honours
Domestic
League
- Bundesliga
- 2. Bundesliga North
- Champions: 1978–79
Cup
Europe
- UEFA Champions League
- Runners-up: 2001–02<ref name="Bayer 04 Honours" />
- UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
Youth
- German Under 19 Championship
- Winners: 1986, 2000, 2007<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Runners-up: 1995, 2001, 2003, 2010Template:Citation needed
- German Under 17 Championship
- Winners: 1992, 2016Template:Citation needed
- Under 19 Bundesliga
- Winners: 2007, 2010Template:Citation needed
In Europe
Template:Main Template:More citations needed section
Players
Squad
Template:Fs start Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs mid Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs end
Players out on loan
Template:Fs start Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs mid Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs end
Past players
Records
Players in bold are active.
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
| Rank | Nat. | Player | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsRüdiger Vollborn | 1982–1999 | 487 |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsThomas Hörster | 1977–1991 | 453 |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsUlf Kirsten | 1990–2003 | 448 |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsStefan Kießling | Template:Nowrap | 444 |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsCarsten Ramelow | 1996–2008 | 437 |
| 6 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsJonathan Tah | 2015–2025 | 401 |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsSimon Rolfes | 2005–2015 | 377 |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsGonzalo Castro | 2005–2015 | 370 |
| 9 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsBernd Schneider | 1999–2009 | 366 |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsLars Bender | 2009–2021 | 342 |
| Rank | Nat. | Player | Period | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsUlf Kirsten | Template:Nowrap | 240 |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsStefan Kießling | 2006–2018 | 162 |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsDimitar Berbatov | 2001–2006 | 91 |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsHerbert Waas | 1982–1990 | 87 |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsChristian Schreier | 1984–1991 | 83 |
| 6 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsPatrik Schick | 2020–present | 82 |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsPaulo Sérgio | 1993–1997 | 64 |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsCha Bum-Kun | 1983–1989 | 63 |
| 9 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsLucas Alario | 2017–2022 | 58 |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsKarim Bellarabi | 2011–2023 | 57 |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon | Template:HsFlorian Wirtz | 2020–2025 | 57 |
Coaching staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head of performance | Template:Flagicon Miguel Ángel Campos |
| Head coach | Template:Flagicon Kasper Hjulmand |
| Assistant head coach | Template:Flagicon Sergi Runge Template:Flagicon Rogier Meijer |
| Goalkeeper coach | Template:Flagicon David Thiel |
| Fitness coach | Template:Flagicon Markus Müller Template:Flagicon Jonas Rath Template:Flagicon Daniel Jouvin Template:Flagicon Allessandro Schoenmaker |
| Analysis | Template:Flagicon Marcel Daum |
| Analyst first-team squad | Template:Flagicon Simon Lackmann |
| Head of sports science and athletics | Template:Flagicon Malte Krüger |
| Licence Coordination | Template:Flagicon Stefan Kießling |
| Team Doctor | Template:Flagicon Karl-Heinrich Dittmar Template:Flagicon Philipp Ehrenstein Template:Flagicon Stefan Porten |
| Physiotherapist | Template:Flagicon Florian Kroder Template:Flagicon Ill-Han Yu Template:Flagicon Jonas Schmitt Template:Flagicon David Jann Template:Flagicon Ahura Bassimtabar |
| Support Staff | Template:Flagicon Martin Kowatzki Template:Flagicon Christian Beckers Template:Flagicon Markus Irmer |
| Team Manager | Template:Flagicon Hans-Peter Lehnhoff |
Coaching history
Women's section
See also
- TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen (handball)
- Bayer Giants Leverkusen (basketball)
- KFC Uerdingen 05
- Works team
- The Football Club Social Alliance
- Leverkusen
References
External links
- Template:Official website Template:In lang
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Bundesliga
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen at UEFA
- Leverkusen statistics. Template:Webarchive.
- Bayer Leverkusen formations at Football-Lineups
Template:Bayer 04 Leverkusen Template:UEFA Europa League winners Template:Bundesliga Template:2. Bundesliga Template:G-14 Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- Football clubs in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Football clubs in Germany
- 1904 establishments in Germany
- Association football clubs established in 1904
- G-14 clubs
- Multi-sport clubs in Germany
- UEFA Europa League winning clubs
- Bayer
- Sport in Leverkusen
- Works football clubs in Germany
- Bundesliga clubs
- 2. Bundesliga clubs