LEVERKUSEN’S SEASON FROM HELL
No team has felt heartbreak quite like Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable 2001- 02 vintage, who came agonisingly close to completing a league, cup and European treble... only to end up empty- handed.
With three matches to go in the Bundesliga, Leverkusen fans could hardly believe their luck – five points clear of Borussia Dortmund in the title race, and already through to the finals of the German Cup and Champions League.
A gifted side led by talisman Michael Ballack had surprised Europe by beating Lyon, Barça, Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester United. Chain- smoking boss Klaus Toppmoller claimed victory over United was “a time for cigarettes and drinking” – but little did he know it would be their final cause for cheer.
Leverkusen’s title challenge was the first to unravel. A 2- 1 home defeat to Werder Bremen preceded a dismal 1- 0 loss at drop- dodging Nuremberg, while back- to- back successes for BVB meant the title was out of their hands for the first time in two months. A win on the final day wasn’t enough.
Still, two more to go, eh? A week later came Dortmund’s arch rivals Schalke in the German Cup final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Despite
Dimitar Berbatov slotting early for Leverkusen, Schalke were 4- 1 up by the 85th minute and Ulf Kirsten’s late goal was a mere consolation.
“You lose matches,” Toppmoller mused after the final. “We have to accept that. [ Now] we just want to do our best after the two chances we’ve missed in Germany.”
Of course, two soon became three against Real Madrid at Hampden Park. Bayer got off to a grim start when Raul steered home a clever Roberto Carlos throw- in inside nine minutes, but Lucio’s header quickly drew them level. Leverkusen could do very little about Zinedine Zidane’s blockbuster on the stroke of half- time, though, which condemned them to a horror treble of runners- up medals.
“You don’t always get the rewards that you deserve in football,” mused Toppmoller, who was fired less than a year later with Leverkusen struggling to fight off relegation. Ballack and Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto had been sold to Bayern Munich, and those who remained struggled to lift themselves after the previous campaign’s disappointment.
The ‘ Neverkusen’ tag has haunted them ever since – Leverkusen have only lifted two major trophies... and none since 1988.