In the first season in the top-flight in 1979/80, Bayer 04 were only in a relegation spot once – after matchday one and a 3-1 defeat against Bayern in Munich. Nevertheless, the Werkself remained close to the drop zone. On matchday 33, the champions of Germany and league leaders Hamburg SV came to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The situation is tense as Bayer 04 need every point with just three separating them from the relegation places. Salvation finally comes after 90 minutes. In a dramatic match, HSV are beaten 2-1 and the whole of Leverkusen can look forward to another season in the Bundesliga.
After a bumpy start to the season and the Christoph Daum affair in November 2000, matchday 13 produces a 3-1 win at Hamburg SV and the surprising rise to the top of the table. However, being league leaders does not last long under the new coach Berti Vogts and his two assistants Pierre Littbarski and Wolfgang Rolff. The sporting rollercoaster ride continues after the winter break with lots of highs and lows. On matchday 34, the Werkself achieved a nail-biting 1-0 win against VfL Bochum thanks to a very good Frank Juric in goal and a strike from Oliver Neuville. Finishing fourth in the table qualifies Leverkusen for the qualifying rounds in the Champions League in 2001/02. And every Bayer 04 fan knows what happened then...
Tranquillo Barnetta was born in St. Gallen in Switzerland on 22 May 1985. Quillo, as he was called in the football world, has Italian roots. His great-grandfather emigrated from Italy to the east of Switzerland. Quillo was interested in football early on and he played for the St. Gallen club FC Rotmonten from the age of six. He joined his favourite club FC St. Gallen at the age of 11. There he became a youth international. He won the European Championships with his teammates in the Switzerland U17 team in 2002. The youngsters from Switzerland beat France 4-2 on penalties in the final to become U17 European champions.
Show moreSince the establishment of the Bundesliga on 28 July 1962 for the 1963/64 season, there have been five Regional Leagues: North, Berlin, West, South-west and South. The champions of those five leagues qualified directly for promotion play-offs that were played in two groups of four teams. That included the two second-placed teams in the West and South-west Regional Leagues. The two runners-up from the North and the South played a qualifier for the eighth place in the promotion games.
Show moreIn this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of May. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
Show moreThere were high summer temperatures in Leverkusen on 25 May 1985. Matchday 32 brings FC Köln to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium with only 13,000 spectators at the derby. That is primarily due to the Werkself with Bayer 04 rarely impressing in that season and they are eleventh in the table before the game just three points ahead of sixteenth, the play-off spot. But with the two points for a win rule back then – two points were awarded for a win – and with the significantly better goal difference, the Werkself need every point to get out of trouble.
Show moreIt was all or nothing on the final matchday in the Verbandsliga in the 1974/75 season. Only now would it be decided who were champions and thereby participate in the promotion games to the Bundesliga 2 North. The earlier rivals Viktoria Köln, SC Jülich 10 and Bonner SC have fallen by the wayside.
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