Bayer Leverkusen had to wait 119 years, that is, since it was founded, to become the German champion for the first time. A victory that ends eleven consecutive seasons of Bayern Munich hegemony but more than anything else ending the legend of the losing club which earned him, very reluctantly, the label of ‘Neverkusen’ or ‘Vicekusen’.
The first Bundesliga in its history came to Leverkusen after losing five of its finals since winning the only DFB Pokal in 1993 (1-0 against Hertha Berlin in the final) and also after being runners-up in the Bundesliga five times. in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2011.
The fatal Spanish final
Leverkusen did not enter the elite of German football until it was promoted to the Bundesliga in 1979 and with the arrival of Erich Ribbeck On the bench in 1985 he made a leap in quality that led him to participate in the UEFA Cup, a title he won in 1988 against Espanyol de Javier Clemente.
After losing the first leg of the final at the missing Sarrià stadium 3-0 with two goals from Sebastián Losada and Miquel SolerLeverkusen restored a 3-0 lead at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion with goals in the second half of Aunt, Falko Götz and Bum Kun-cha. The South Koreans forced extra time and the Germans won on penalties (3-2).
Zidane’s volley goal is great
This is the only European title won by Leverkusen, who in 2002 reached the finals of the Champions League Michael Ballack figure in Real Madrid as a rival. Pike advance to Bayer at Hampden Park in Glasgow but Raul and Zinedine Zidane, With their famous volley goal, they came back in the first half (2-1).
By then Leverkusen had earned ‘Neverkusen’ fame with three league runners-up finishes in 1997, 1999 and 2000 but That 2001-2002 season was especially disappointing because two more titles eluded him.
A brutal 2002 on the brink of three titles
In the Bundesliga they have a five point lead with three games left, but After two consecutive losses, he gave up the lead in the penultimate round Borussia Dortmund, who lost to them by one point. Then, a week before the Champions League finals, lost the DFB Pokal against Schalke (4-2).
Two years earlier, in 2000, the outcome of the Bundesliga was even harsher for Leverkusen as they entered the final round three points ahead and a draw was enough, but they lost at Unterhaching (2-0) and Bayern Munich were crowned champions on goal difference.
End 31 years of continuous failure
In other words, by winning the Bundesliga today, Leverkusen removes a heavy burden of disappointments and achieves a third title after the 1988 UEFA Cup and the 1993 DFB Pokal. In these 31 years he lost five finals, one Super Cup (1993), one Champions League (2002) and three Cups (2002, 2009 and 2020), in addition to five league runners-up finishes.
overcome the curse, Xabi Alonso is aiming for the treble which would completely change the history of Leverkusen and bury the name of ‘Neverkusen’ forever. On May 25, they will appear as favorites in the DFB Pokal final against Kaiserslautern, from the Second Division, and in the Europa League they aim to reach the semifinals this Thursday after winning the first leg against West Ham 2-0.
Bayer Leverkusen achievements
These are his three titles
Bundesliga
Champion (1): 2024
Runners-up (5): 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2011
DFB Pokal
Champion (1): 1993
Runners-up: 2002, 2009, 2020
UEFA Cup
Champion (1): 1988
Champions League
Runner-up (1): 2002
German Super Cup
Runner-up (1): 1993
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
