“I feel incredibly at home at this club. When I came to Leverkusen as a young player in 2015, I had the best conditions to develop and become the player I am today. I was able to play in Europe early on in my career with Bayer 04 and also found my way into the national team,” Tah said on extending his deal. “We always had good players, but right now I have the feeling something is developing in Leverkusen. I believe in this team, in this club and see a chance for us to achieve something extraordinary.”
Sporting director Simon Rolfes described Tah’s contract extension as “an important setting of course for a successful future. Jonathan has developed from a talented youngster into a seasoned leader with us. He doesn’t just have a role of responsibility on the pitch, but his word also carries weight off it. Jonathan is multi-talented and very reflective. He can serve as a good example to many of our young players of what it means to become a professional.”
Managing director for sport Rudi Völler considers Tah’s resilience and ambition to be special qualities of the 1.95m defender, in addition to his footballing ability. “After an extremely impressive and consistent start in the Bundesliga, Jonathan has never let isolated setbacks get him down. That’s what sets him apart. Instead, he fought all the more and faced every challenge,” Völler said. “This attitude is exemplary. Jonathan is someone who leads from the front with confidence and who absolutely identifies with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.”
Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
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Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
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