32 years ago today: Werkself win the UEFA Cup

It looked like a lost cause after the 3-0 defeat in the first leg in Barcelona. And yet, hope and promise lay in the Leverkusen air on the evening of 18 May 1988. The crowd were waving flags with 18,000 Bayer 04 fans amongst the 22,000 at the Haberland Stadium, that was being redeveloped, singing loud in hope of creating a sensation. The West Stand was a skeleton with a couple of hundred temporary seats installed at short notice to cater for the club staff and journalists. What followed was a performance by the Werkself that has not lost any of its drama and emotion after 32 years. Bayer 04 TV brought highlights of the second leg of the 1988 UEFA Cup final...

Anniversary party at the BayArena

30 years later there was a big anniversary celebration at the 1904 Lounge at the BayArena: The UEFA Cup heroes of 1988 were clearly full of joy at that reunion.

Match information:

Bayer 04: Vollborn – Rolff – Seckler, A. Reinhardt – Schreier (Waas 46’), Cha, Buncol, Falkenmayer, K. Reinhardt – Götz, Tita (Täuber 62’)

Espanyol: N'Kono – Miguel Angel – Job, Gallard, Urkiaga – Orejuela (Zubillaga 67’), Inaki, Golobart (Zuniga 73’), Soler – Alonso, Losada

Goals: 1-0 Tita (58’), 2-0 Götz (63’), 3-0 Cha (81’)

Penalty shootout: Rolff, Waas and Täuber scored for Bayer 04, Alonso and Job for Espanyol

Referee: Keizer (Netherlands)

Booked: A. Reinhardt, K. Reinhardt – Miguel Angel, Zubillaga

Attendance: 22,000 (sold out)