This is Bayer 04's third appearance in a major European final (after 1987/88 and 2001/02), and Atalanta's first. The two clubs have met twice in competitive matches so far, with the Italians winning both encounters in the round of 16 of the 2021/22 Europa League campaign.
Atalanta can also become the first Italian team to win the Europa League. So far, only clubs from Spain, Portugal, England and Germany have been victorious in the competition. The last Italian team to win the UEFA Cup (predecessor to the UEFA Europa League) was Parma in the 1998/99 season.
Today's venue, the Dublin Arena has previously hosted one Europa League final, in the 2010/11 season. Back then, Porto and Sporting Braga contested an all-Portuguese final, with Porto winning 1-0. Outside of UEFA competitions, the ground is known as the "Aviva Stadium". It's shaped like a horseshoe and is the second largest stadium in Ireland.
A week ago, Atalanta suffered a painful 1-0 defeat against Juventus in the final of the Coppa Italia. Three days later, however, they were successful in their dress rehearsal for today's Europa League final: the Black & Blues won 2-0 at U.S. Lecce to secure a fifth-place finish in Serie A. The Italians, for whom former Leverkusen defender Mitchel Bakker has also been playing since the start of the season, have thus already achieved their first major goal with two matchdays still to go: qualification for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League. With head coach Gian Piero Gasperini in charge, Atalanta will be competing in Europe's premier club competition for the fourth time. The 66-year-old has been at the helm of the side since 2016. Our in-depth opposition profile has everything else you need to know about the club from Lombardy.
Like the Werkself, Atalanta ended the group stage without defeat. Bayer 04 went on to beat Qarabag in the round of 16, West Ham United in the quarter-finals and Roma in the semi-finals. For their part, the Italians defeated Sporting Lisbon in the round of 16. They then knocked out Liverpool in the quarter-finals before going on to book their place in the final against Marseille.
UEFA have appointed Romanian referee István Kovács for the match in Dublin. The 39-year-old will be assisted by his compatriots Vasile Florin Marinescu and Mihai Ovidiu Artene on the touchline, while VAR duties will be carried out by Dutchman Pol van Boekel.
Just in time for the start of the school year, everyone was hard at work again at NaturGut Ophoven. For the 21st time, Bayer 04 have supported the annual ‘BioBrotbox’ campaign, which puts together a healthy breakfast for first-year primary school pupils in Leverkusen – and not only contributed 1,904 muesli bars but also plenty of enthusiasm too: Together with the U19 players Burak Kir and Clinton Wilson, Emily Wallrabenstein and Paulina Platner from the Women’s Bundesliga team helped with the packing. The latter was clearly delighted “that Bayer 04 are helping out with regional projects like this and showing their commitment to the local community”.
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A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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