Nevertheless, the Leverkusen management appeared somewhat taken aback after the draw by the high quality of teams they would be facing: Juventus, Arsenal and Deportivo La Coruna. That needed to be absorbed for starters. General manager Reiner Calmund, who was naturally at the event in Geneva, quickly found the right words and he was able to identify the positives: "Of course, it's a cut-throat group. But it’s great to face top opponents with their many stars. So, we are looking forward to these crackers."
The quality of the opposition read like a Who's Who of the European football elite. To name but a few: Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry played for Arsenal; Gianluigi Buffon, Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta, Edgar Davids, Pavel Nedved, Alessandro del Piero and David Trezeguet for Juventus; Fran, Mauro Silva, Valeron, Roy Makaay and Diego Tristan were at Deportivo La Coruna.
Asked about his assessment of Group D, Klaus Toppmöller provided a short and sharp response: "We are the rank outsiders." On the same weekend, the coach sent his scouts to Italy and Spain to take a closer look at Juventus and Deportivo in their league matches. Juventus finished top of their group with some effort ahead of Porto, Celtic and Rosenborg. No wonder the Juve coach Roberto Bettega was not full of joy after the draw: "A very difficult group. Bayer Leverkusen and Deportivo La Coruna definitely shouldn't be underestimated."
Bayer 04 had never met any of the forthcoming opponents on the European stage before. And there was another first: The Werkself had never played an English team before. That was a particular joy to Ulf Kirsten: "I've never played in England before and now against Arsenal – it's brilliant." Carsten Ramelow was also particularly excited by the prospect of the first game in England. "Just being able to experience the atmosphere at Highbury is something special."
The Werkself fans also agreed with that analysis. Accordingly, there was a great demand for away tickets for that match. But there was time enough before that. Another famous stadium awaited first, namely the Delle Alpi in Turin. However, the fans did not see anything there at all at first. More on that in the next episode of the #RoadToGlasgow.
The second group stage fixtures:
29 November 2001: Juventus vs Bayer 04
4 December 2001: Bayer 04 vs Deportivo La Coruna
19 February 2002: Bayer 04 vs Arsenal
27 February 2002: Arsenal vs Bayer 04
12 March 2002: Bayer 04 vs Juventus
20 March 2002: Deportivo La Coruna vs Bayer 04
Why was there a second group stage 20 years ago? The reason was the expansion policy of the European football's governing body. UEFA increased the number of participants for the Champions League from 24 to 32 teams in the 1999/2000 season. In the two seasons before there were six groups of four teams with these six top sides and the two best second-placed teams qualifying for the quarter-finals. The reform of this structure not only brought an enormous increase in finance but also big problems with setting fixtures.
In the second year after the reform many clubs experienced a significant decline in attendances for the matches in the second round. TV broadcasters feared a decline in viewing figures and the players were at the limit of their physical capabilities. To get to the final required playing 17 matches. The clubs increasingly criticised the structure. In the summer of 2002, the executive committee of UEFA decided to reform the reform. From the 2003/04 season, the Champions League would be played without a second group round with the quarter-finals immediately following the group stage. The finalists would therefore only have to play 13 instead of 17 games.
A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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