WHO ARE BAYER LEVERKUSEN?

'Invincible' Bayer Leverkusen swept to a maiden German Bundesliga title in 2023/24. But who are they?

COMPANY MEN

Bayer Leverkusen are one of many clubs that was founded by employees of a large company to give themselves some entertainment outside of working hours. It was workers at pharmaceutical enterprise Bayer, whose headquarters are in Leverkusen, who started the club in 1904. It was in fact part of a larger sports club that also fielded teams in athletics, gymnastics, basketball, field hockey, handball, rowing and tennis, and it wasn't until 1999 that the football team became its own entity.

COLOURS AND STADIUM

The club plays in red and black and has since its inception. They have also featured the Bayer cross in their jerseys since 1936 as homage to the company that still owns them to this day. The cross is also present in their crest, in the form of the words 'Bayer' that are displayed in that style. The club plays at the 30 000-seater BayArena, which first opened in 1958 but underwent a major reconstruction in 2009 ahead of the Women's World Cup that staged matches there two years later.