Here we go again! The Paralympic Summer Games under the motto ‘Citius, altius, fortius’ (faster, higher, further) started in Tokyo on Tuesday. 14 female and male athletes from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen are competing at the Paralympics.
One of them is the visually impaired Taliso Engel. The 19-year-old is a big medal hope for Germany in swimming. “My big target at the Paralympics is to end up in the top three in the 100 metre breaststroke. That would be my main aim and it would be a dream come true, ” explained Engel ahead of the games.
The European and World champion from Nuremberg with be the first TSV athlete to compete at the games. On Friday, 27 August, at 09.00 CEST he will take part in the qualifiers for the men’s 400 metre freestyle. The final is at 17.00 CEST on the same day.
We wish all the German Paralympians, above all the athletes from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, great success at the summer games in Tokyo.
The TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen athletes at the Paralympics:
Taliso Engel (swimming), Nele Moos (100m/400m), Léon Schäfer (long jump/100m), Johannes Floors (100m/400m), Markus Rehm (long jump), Irmgard Bensusan (100m/200m), Maria Tietze (100m/200m), David Behre (relay), Lise Petersen (javelin), Dominik Albrecht (sitting volleyball), Stefan Hähnlein (sitting volleyball), Lukas Schiwiy (sitting volleyball), Jürgen Schrapp (sitting volleyball), Mathis Tigler (sitting volleyball)
Paralympics on TV:
Over 60 hours of the games will broadcast live from Tokyo on German TV channels. There are also live stream of the competitions (sportschau.de and zdfsport.de). The main broadcast times are 9.05 to 13.00 CEST, and 14.00 to 15.00 CEST.
Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
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Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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It took exactly 60 minutes for the Werkself to take the lead through a perfectly finished counter-attack by Patrik Schick in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off at Olympiacos. Referring to the meeting in the league phase and the initially squandered opportunities, coach Kasper Hjulmand said afterwards: "I thought: 'Oh no, déjà-vu.'" But after the opening goal, it took just 144 seconds for the Czech to spark more wild celebrations among those in black and red in the Greek cauldron, when Schick nodded in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner. Much to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans, his teammates and his coach, who had warm words for the striker in the aftermath. The Werkself Review.
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