GOALKEEPER

Hans Jörg Butt (27) – A fascinating player, he starred in every single Bundesliga match for Leverkusen in the 01/02 season, not missing a single minute. Butt had a bizarre eye for goal and was known for taking penalties and getting his head or foot on a ball swung into the opposition’s box. Butt would finish his career with 36 goals (8 for Leverkusen), a stunning return for a goalkeeper.

DEFENDERS

Jens Nowotny (27) – A no-nonsense German central defender who captained this Leverkusen side. Throughout his Leverkusen career he racked up 297 appearances, 5 goals and 15 assists. He was capped a very respectable 48 times for Germany, scoring once.

Lucio (23) – A physically well-equipped central defender with technical skills many forwards would be jealous of. He would go on to win the World Cup with Brazil and famously the treble with Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho. As of writing in 2019, Lucio still laces up his boots aged 41 for Brasiliense in the Brazilian 4th tier.

Diego Placente (24) – Under 20 World Cup winner, this solid left back provided cover centrally when needed. Went on to win an impressive domestic treble for Bordeaux in Ligue 1 under Laurent Blanc. He was also capped 22 times by Argentina.

Zoltan Sebescen (25) – This goal scoring right back came from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2001. He quite sadly had his career cut short in 2003 due to complications brought on by Lyme disease. During his unfortunately short shift at Leverkusen he managed 56 appearances, 7 goals and 7 assists.

Boris Živković (25) – A very versatile Croatian full back who could play all across the back line and could occasionally slip into the defensive midfield role. He was capped 39 times for Croatia and scored twice.

MIDFIELDERS

Michael Ballack (24) – A machine efficient midfielder with flare and an eye for goal akin to Lothar Matthäus before him. Eventually moved to Bayern to win the domestic treble under fellow countryman Felix Magath before then going to Chelsea where he won the Premier League title, 3 FA Cups and the English League Cup.

Ze Roberto (26) – A versatile and technical defensive player who started his career as a wing back. Transferred from Real Madrid to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 1998. He later moved to Bayern and won 2 domestic trebles. He wasn’t part of the World Cup winning squad for Brazil but he did win the Confederations Cup twice, once in 1997 and another in 2005.

Carsten Ramelow (27) – Like Ze Roberto, Ramelow was a versatile defensive player, he played his career down the middle and would often be seen providing cover as a central defender if not played in his strongest central defensive role in the middle of the park.

Bernd Schneider (27) – Stalwart of Leverkusen, finishing his career as the player with the 2nd most appearances in the club’s history. 366 apps 52 goals 80 assists along with an impressive 81 caps and 4 goals for Germany.

Yildiray Bastürk (22) – Agile attacking midfielder who would play opposite Ballack to overrun and outnumber teams on the counter. Was capped 49 times for Turkey, scoring 2 times. Was part of the Turkey squad who placed 3rd in the 2002 World Cup.

Jurica Vranješ (21) – A technical minded Croatian midfielder marked for his great passing and his even better tackling ability. He was capped 26 times for Croatia. Later moved to Weder Bremen and picked up the German Cup and the German League Cup along the way.

FORWARDS

Dimitar Berbatov (20) – A talented young striker with a golden touch who would go on to be the 4th highest goalscorer in Leverkusen’s history as of writing. Coveted after his stint at Leverkusen he moved to Spurs to win the English league cup. He then made a move to Manchester United to win 3 Premier League titles and 2 additional English League Cups.

Ulf Kirsten (35) – Veteran of the game as of the 01/02 season and holder of 100 international caps almost perfectly split between East Germany and Germany (post 1990). Kirsten had a terrific scoring record within the league and was one of the 1st East German footballers to enter the Bundesliga after German reunification in 1990.

Oliver Neuville (28) – Very much a flair driven striker who seen his best days at Leverkusen. A real highlight reel player who has scored some absolute peaches during his time in the Bundesliga. Was part of the German 2002 World Cup squad. Was called up as late as 2008 to participate in the 2008 Euros, in which Germany came up short in the final.