Bayer is having a phenomenal season. Xabi Alonso’s team has not yet suffered a single defeat and continues to win victories in all the tournaments in which it participates. Let’s remember the famous footballers who once played for the Leverkusen club.
Black year in Bayer history:
After this disaster, Bayer is harassed. How the club gave away three trophies in 11 days
Michael Ballack (1999-2002, 2010-2012)
Michael Ballack
Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
2002 was a very bad year in Ballack’s career. The midfielder lost all the trophies with Bayer and then was content with silver at the World Championship. Ballack has already started the new season with Bayern, who bought him for 6 million euros. As part of the Munich Club, Michael became German champion three times and won a total of seven trophies. After that, the German star footballer had a good time with Chelsea: six trophies and a disappointing Champions League final loss.
In 2010, Ballack returned to Bayer and played there until his retirement, that is, until 2012. In the 2011/2012 season, Michael played 25 games (three goals, three assists, six yellow cards). True, in the second half he rarely went on the field, including due to a muscle injury.
Ballack is on the list of players who have never won the Champions League:
Stories
Which star footballer has not won the Champions League? The list includes seven world champions.
Dimitar Berbatov (2001-2006)
Dimitar Berbatov
Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
The striker moved to Germany in 2001 and Bayer paid CSKA Sofia 2.5 million euros for his transfer. At first, Berbatov was a substitute player and his breakthrough year was his third year at Leverkusen. In each of the last two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, the Bulgarian scored at least 20 goals. With 21 goals he finished second on the Bundesliga top scorers list, behind Miroslav Klose.
The forward’s brilliant play caught the attention of Tottenham, who paid 15.7 million euros for the player: in 2008, Berbatov won the English League Cup with the club. In the final match against Chelsea, the Bulgarian scored a penalty (2-1, dv) and sent the match to extra time, where his team won. Berbatov’s career then included Manchester United, with whom he won the Premier League twice. There were also other domestic trophies, two Champions League finals and the status of top scorer in the Premier League at the end of the 2010/2011 season (along with Carlos Tevez).
Remember how Berbatov scored against Liverpool in a Manchester United shirt?
Classification
The main match between Manchester United and Liverpool. Berbatov’s miracle, Gerrard’s expulsion or the 7-0 at Anfield?
Arturo Vidal (2007-2011)
Arturo vidal
Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Vidal ended up at Bayer Leverkusen in 2007. Before this, he clearly showed himself as part of the Chilean youth team. At the World Championships in Canada, the team won bronze medals, and Europe became interested in its players. Bayer’s sporting director Rudi Völler personally traveled to Chile to convince Vidal to join Bayer. The South American liked this step of the celebrity and agreed. Bayer paid Colo-Colo 5.2 million euros for the transfer.
Vidal spent wonderful years in Leverkusen, but acquired global star status after moving to Juventus (2011). Later, the Chilean also played for Bayern, Barcelona, Inter and Flamengo. Vidal took gold in Italy, Germany, Spain and with the Brazilian club he won the Copa Libertadores. Since January 2024 he has been playing in his home country in Colo-Colo.
Toni Kroos (2009-2010)
Toni Kroos
Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
The German midfielder joined Leverkusen at the beginning of 2009. Bayer rented Tony until the end of the season and then extended the contract with Bayern for another year. Kroos looked very decent in Leverkusen: 10 goals and 13 assists in 48 games. The young footballer’s progress did not go unnoticed and the boy went with the German national team to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Bayer considered buying the player, but after the tournament Kroos returned to the Munich club.
The German played for Bayern until 2014, after which he left for Real Madrid. Kroos became a five-time winner of the Champions League (four times as part of Real Madrid), multiple champion of Spain and Germany, and collected many other trophies in these countries. And in the summer of 2014, Tony received a gold medal for winning the World Championship. Currently, Kroos continues playing for Real Madrid.
Dani Carvajal (2012-2013)
Dani Carvajal
Photo: Lennart Preiss/Getty Images
At times it seems that Carvajal has spent his entire career in the Real Madrid system. But in the 2012/2013 season the Spaniard played for Bayer. The German club bought the defender from Real Castilla for 5 million euros and a year later sold him to the main team of Real Madrid for 6.5 million euros. At Leverkusen, Carvajal was a solid player in the starting eleven (36 games in the 2012 season/2013 season). He scored a goal and had eight assists. Real quickly got into action and recovered the Spaniard.
As part of the Madrid club, Carvajal won 22 trophies, including five Champions Cups and three Spanish Championships. Dani is now 32 years old and still runs around in the Real Madrid shirt. Probably, at the end of this season he will be champion of Spain again. But Real are also struggling in the Champions League, but will face Manchester City in the quarterfinals.
How Dani is playing this season:
The hero of Real Madrid, who is overlooked in vain. How Carvajal transformed and became an example
Son Heung-min (2013-2015)
Son Heung Min
Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images
The Korean arrived at Bayer in 2013: his transfer from Hamburg cost 12.5 million euros, Son spent two years in Leverkusen and played 87 games (29 goals, 11 assists). He has established himself as a footballer with explosive runs, game intelligence and finishing ability. In 2015, Bayer sold the Korean to Tottenham, who paid 30 million euros.
Son still plays for Tottenham. He was named footballer of the season several times at the club, was Premier League footballer of the month four times and at the end of the 2021/2022 season he became the league’s top scorer along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. They are, of course, without team trophies (sorry, Tottenham fans). But now the Korean takes the field with the captain’s armband.
Hakan Calhanoglu (2014-2017)
Hakan Calhanoglu
Photo: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Before moving to Leverkusen, Hakan gained good experience playing in Germany. He played in Karlsruhe and then moved to Hamburg. In 2014, Bayer bought the player for 15.25 million euros and greatly improved his skills. In 115 games, the Turkish footballer scored 28 goals and gave 29 assists. After four years at Bayer, Calhanoglu changed his situation. And he went to Italy, where he still plays. In 2017, Milan bought the footballer for 23.3 million euros and four years later, Hakan moved to Inter as a free agent. It was with the black and blue that Calhanoglu won all his trophies (two victories in the Italian Cup and three in the Super Cup).
Javier Hernandez (2015-2017)
Javier Hernandez
Photo: Simon Hofmann/Getty Images
The Mexican joined Bayer from an English club (Manchester United) and left Leverkusen two years later heading to the Premier League (West Ham). He was bought for 12 million euros and sold for 17.8 million euros. During his time at Bayer, Chicharito played 76 games (39 goals, nine assists). West Ham appreciated the decent performance from him and Bayer sold the striker for more than they bought him. Hernández would later win the Europa League with Sevilla and then go abroad to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Since January 2024, Chicharito has been playing in his country of origin for the Guadalajara club.
Which of the forgotten veterans, besides Hernandez, isn’t done with football yet?
Former soccer stars who still play. One marked for Bayern in the last millennium!
Kai Havertz (2016-2020)
Kai Havertz
Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
Havertz came to Bayer’s system in 2010, but in 2016 he played in the main team for the first time. Then the boy was only 17 years old and he didn’t like going to school. The fact is that primary school students constantly harassed the footballer by asking for autographs. Havertz played 150 games for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 46 goals and providing 31 assists. The young footballer’s brilliant play caught the attention of Chelsea representatives. The London club paid 80 million euros for the transfer of the German.
In three years with Chelsea, Havertz won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. It was Kai who gave the victory to the Londoners in the Champions League final in the match against Manchester City (1-0). In 2023, Havertz changed one club in the capital for another: Arsenal bought the German for 75 million euros and there Kai won the English Super Cup.
