A moment 120 years in the making enjoyed around the world, Bayer Leverkusen’s historic Bundesliga triumph captured the imagination of fans across the globe. The Bundesliga and Goal Click have collaborated to tell the stories from the heart and soul of Leverkusen’s global fan base.

From Mexico and the USA to Kuwait and at home in Leverkusen, five fans shared the highs and lows of their journeys, the excitement of the title race, and the celebrations of a first-ever Bundesliga title.

You can watch each of their stories below...

Carter

Carter is a 17-year-old born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States who now resides in St. Louis, Missouri, but spent nine years of his childhood in Germany, where he fell in love with football and Bayer Leverkusen in particular, where his family had season tickets.

Football helped Carter overcome language barriers in kindergarten and school in Leverkusen. Years later, the Werkself even came to him as he watched Xabi Alonso’s side play against St. Louis City SC to open their new stadium. The American teenager then got to cross back over the Atlantic himself to be at the final game of the season to see his club lift the Meisterschale for the first time.

Aléxis

Aléxis Raúl Espinal Soria is a 22-year-old chemical engineering student from Mexico City who fell in love with German football culture and the national team when watching the 2006 World Cup in Germany as a child. He even wanted to play for them until learning he needed to be German. But how did his Leverkusen fascination come about?

A real headache, quite literally. As a child, he used to have to take aspirin to help the pain, leading him to the Bayer company and their Bundesliga club in Leverkusen, who soon also signed Mexican hero Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández. The deal was sealed. Aléxis has ambitions of working for Bayer in Germany one day, but his first trip to the country came when he got to visit the BayArena to witness the team receive the Bundesliga trophy.

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Saad

Saad Alrumaidhi is a 28-year-old football fanatic from Kuwait who founded FC Kuwait City Academy and is one of only two Leverkusen fans living in Kuwait City. He’s been a lover of the Bundesliga for a decade, thanks to its high-energy fan culture and always full stadiums.

Leverkusen became his team thanks to their attacking philosophy and created his social media account @Bayer4Arab in 2012 to try and change perceptions of the Werkself, gaining 5,000 new followers this season alone. A proud Leverkusen supporter, it was a dream come true when he got to travel to Germany in May to witness history at the BayArena.

Michael and Brigitte

Michael and Brigitte Schiradin are a mother and son duo from the wine region of Eltville am Rhein, near Mainz and Wiesbaden, who have loyally supported Leverkusen and travelled to matches for almost 30 years. Michael, now 41, first went to a Werkself game on 18 May 1996, the day they survived relegation with a late Markus Münch goal against Kaiserslautern. Mother Brigitte, 75, soon progressed from taxi service to passionate fan herself.

The pair have witnessed all the highs, lows and near misses in the past three decades, usually from the standing section at the BayArena, so there was no chance they were going to miss celebrations as Leverkusen finally got their hands on the Bundesliga Meisterschale after so many close calls in the past.

Leverkusen celebrated a historic double at the BayArena!

About the clubs

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

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