Neverkusen and its German equivalent Vizekusen (German: [ˌfiːtsɐˈkuːzn̩], lit. 'vice-kusen') were nicknames for German football team Bayer 04 Leverkusen.[1][2] Both apply to the runners-up image of the team, which from 2000–2002 often found its way into finals but never to the top (only achieved in 2023–24 Bundesliga). It was often alleged to have been a curse due to its frequency.[3]
Bayer, the company owning the team, has issued a trademark on Vizekusen and others which the German Financial Times has claimed as proof of a Bayer marketing strategy to use the ironic elements.[4]
The expressions have had various echoes in the press. In case of Bayern Munich's three final defeats in the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2012, the press used expressions like "Vizekusen-Syndrome", "Vizekusen 2.0",[5][6]orVizekusen-stigmata and a fear of having them stuck.[7]
Some concerns about a Vizekusen curse were raised before the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2012 as an important number of players in the national team came from Leverkusen or Bayern respectively.[8] Germany lost both competitions, reaching the finals in the 2002 World Cup before being eliminated by champions Brazil.
The "curse" was finally broken in the 2023–24 season, when Leverkusen won its title. The season saw Leverkusen break the record for the longest unbeaten run in European football history, going 51 games unbeaten, as well as finishing the Bundesliga season without a single defeat. This has led to the creation of a new nickname for the team, Neverlusen (a play on the words 'never losing').[9][10][11]
