“Take it as a compliment”
Club from Asia copies Bayer Leverkusen
12/23/2025 – 2:19 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The same jerseys, a coat of arms based on the Bayer Cross and a Spaniard on the sidelines: A club in Asia is very reminiscent of the once undefeated German champions.
Black jerseys, red cross, winning streak – at first glance it seems like déjà vu. But what the Vietnamese club Ninh Binh FC shows on the pitch is not just a reflection of the former German champions Bayer Leverkusen. The parallels are obvious – but Ninh Binh goes its own way.
While Leverkusen won two titles in the 2023/2024 season with a series of 51 games unbeaten, the club from near Hanoi also began a remarkable development.
“The similarity is a way of saying that we share the same philosophy: humility, teamwork and the courage to dream big,” Ninh Binh’s media officer Quang Viet told 11Freunde magazine. Founded in 2015, the club gave itself a new look for its tenth anniversary: instead of green, it now has black with a red cross – inspired by the Werkself championship jerseys. The coat of arms was also revised. Instead of a riding warrior, a gold, red and black variant of the Bayer logo can be seen.
This triggers many reactions on social media – from ridicule to admiration. A user is reminded of football simulations without licenses. And how does Bayer react? Press spokesman Dirk Mesch told the sports information service: “Our logo has now apparently become a brand that is recognized worldwide.” A legal reaction? “Not planned at the moment – we prefer to take that as a compliment.”
A look at Cameroon and Bulgaria shows that Leverkusen is not the only example: AS Nylon and Vihar Slavyanovo also use similar designs. The coats of arms of Barça and Manchester City also serve as templates worldwide.
Why a club around 90 kilometers south of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi chooses Bayer remains an open question. One possible lead leads to Nguyen Duc Thuy. The banker is the club’s main sponsor – and is considered a Leverkusen fan. One thing is clear: the rebranding came one season after the historic championship title.
The running also continues in terms of sport. Ninh Binh has not lost a league game since June 2024. The coach has been the Spaniard Gerard Albadalejo since summer 2025. The club was previously undefeated second division champions and is now leading the table in the top division.