The 1996/97 season starts with a new coach: Christoph Daum. It also sees the arrival of a lot of new players: Jens Nowotny from Karlsruher SC, Jan Heintze and Erik Meijer from relegated KFC Uerdingen, Niko Kovac from almost relegated from the second division Hertha Berlin and his brother Robert from FC Nürnberg who had just been relegated from the second division. Rene Rydlewicz returns from 1860 Munich. Other signings include Zé Elias from Brazil and Manuel Cardoni from Luxembourg.
A new formation, two tough training camps and a tight-knit group turn almost relegated Bayer 04 into title contenders with a barn-storming performance on matchday one bringing a 4-2 home win against the reigning champions of Germany Borussia Dortmund.
The home win for Bayer 04 in the opening match in 2001/02 against VfL Wolfsburg is followed by a convincing 3-0 away win in Rostock and a 1-1 draw at home to Bayern Munich. Then it's off to AufSchalke, the name of the new arena in Gelsenkirchen. The Werkself help inaugurate this great stadium in front of a full house of over 60,000. The match thrills everybody with Bernd Schneider putting Bayer 04 level at 3-3 in the final minute. HERE are highlights of the match in Gelsenkirchen
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
Show more
José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
Show more
In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
Show more
In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
Show more
September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
Show more
