Despite the heavy workload that the coach Christoph Daum imposed on his players, the results speak for themselves: 4-0 against the Czech second division side Vitkovice, 3-0 against the USA team Orlando Sundogs and, above all, the 2-1 victory over Bundesliga rivals Hamburg SV.
Five years later, the second half of the season started after the winter break with matchday 19. Hansa Rostock visited the BayArena on 26 January 2002. The league leaders Bayer 04 started with a late but deserved 2-0 win. During the winter break, coach Klaus Toppmöller familiarised his players with "sensible football". It says a lot for the morale of the group that they kept coming back after going behind but the constant effort was not easily repeated. That led to this unspectacular but patient and "sensible" regulation win.
.
Bayer 04 fans had to wait until the 76th minute for the opener from Boris Zivkovic. All worries were put aside four minutes later when Michael Ballack converted a penalty. The Werkself felt well-equipped for the top game a week later against the reigning German champions Bayern Munich at the Olympic Stadium in Munich.
The video includes a three-minute summary of the match against Hansa Rostock.
Dieter Bast was born in Oberhausen on 28 August 1951. He began playing football in the youth team at DJK Arminia Klosterhardt, a local club in Oberhausen. Whilst training as a toolmaker, he moved to neighbouring club Sterkrade 06/07 to play for their U19s, where he caught the eye of Bundesliga sides Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bast opted for Rot-Weiss and played in the Bundesliga from 1970 onwards. In his very first year, he made 22 appearances as a right winger, scoring three goals. Nevertheless, Essen were unable to avoid relegation.
Show more
José Vítor Roque Júnior was born on 31 August 1976 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As a youth, he played for São José EC, a club in the east of the state of São Paulo. His professional career began in 1995 with Palmeiras São Paulo. There, Roque Júnior quickly established himself as a key player in the team, making more than 200 appearances and enjoying significant success. With the club, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1998 and the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
Show more
In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of August. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
Show more
The Werkself play their first top-flight match in Bayer 04’s history away at Sportfreunde Katernberg. 7,000 spectators turn up at the Am Lindenbruch stadium in that district of Essen. The Katernbergers have transformed the once ‘barren’ pitch into a real gem. On this Sunday afternoon, 19 August 1951, the lush turf provides the perfect conditions for a good game of football.
Show more
Following a thoroughly successful start with a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself are organising a team event. On Wednesdays, they head to the Nürburgring together and do a few laps at speed. Manager Klaus Toppmöller welcomes this initiative, as it promotes team spirit and integration. During weekly training sessions, the team works extensively on various defensive tactics, as the manager was dissatisfied with his players’ pressing in the final minutes of the match against the Wolves.
Show more
