Bayer Leverkusen
But J&J are not the only influencers in “the beautiful game,” as over in Europe a successful football team playing in Germany’s Bundesliga was actually founded and named after a global pharma giant.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen began as a company sponsored initiative at Bayer’s headquarters after 170 workers wrote to their employer to ask for support in starting a sports club in 1903.
Over 100 years on and the club is still owned by the firm, although in this time the club is yet to have won the league.