The Best Football Team in Germany Is Owned by a Struggling Pharma Giant

German conglomerate Bayer AG owns Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Leverkusen have already clinched the Bundesliga title

The team of Leverkusen attends the training session during the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Media Day at BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, on May 15.Photographer: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

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By Tim Loh

May 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM UTC

Updated on

May 17, 2024 at 9:26 AM UTC

When the office softball group or five-a-side football team goes on a winning streak, it’s a nice pep for morale rather than the balance sheet.

Then there’s Bayer AG, the German conglomerate that owns Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a football team that on Saturday could complete the first-ever undefeated season in the country’s top-tier Bundesliga in front of 30,000 fans.