Founded in 1904 by employees of the paint factory, better known today as the pharmaceutical company Bayer (based in Leverkusen and hence its name), the club was formerly part of the TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen sports club, which was active in athletics, gymnastics, basketball, field and handball. In 1999, the football department left the sports club.
Bayer Leverkusen's main colors are red and black, featured on their jerseys and emblem, and their main rival is 1. FC Kรถln, while their fans have had a deep friendship with the fans of Kickers Offenbach for nearly 50 years.
Bayer Leverkusen were promoted to the Bundesliga in 1979 and achieved their first top-flight success in the UEFA Cup in 1988. The club won its first domestic trophy in the DFB Pokal in 1993. The club finished second in three different competitions, including the UEFA Champions League in 2002. After more than 30 years without winning a trophy, the club won its first Bundesliga title and second DFB Pokal in 2024, becoming the first German team to win the league or domestic double without defeat and breaking the European record for consecutive unbeaten matches (51).
achievements
- Bundesliga
- Champion (1): 2023-24
- Second (6): 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2010-11, 2024-25
- DFB-Pokal
- Champion (2): 1992-93, 2023-24
- Second (3): 2001-02, 2008-09, 2019-20
- DFL-Supercup
- Champion (1): 2024
- Second (1): 1993
- UEFA Cup
- Champion (1): 1987-88
- Finalist (1): 2023-24
- UEFA Champions League
- Finalist (1): 2001-02
squad
- As of May 30, 2025
