Nadiem Amiri knows the Rhine from growing up – even if it was 200 kilometres south of Leverkusen: The 1.78 metre right-footer, with Afghani roots, was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein on 27 October 1996. After playing in youth teams for Ludwigshafen SC, FC Kaiserslautern and SV Waldhof Mannheim, Amiri joined the Hoffenheim U17s in the summer of 2012. In 2014 he was in the Hoffenheim team that won the German U19 Championships and he made his first appearance for the senior squad shortly after that: On 7 February 2015 he made his debut in Germany's top flight under coach Markus Gisdol at the age of 18. And he was an immediate hit. Also in the starting eleven for TSG at the time: Kevin Volland who signed for Bayer 04 a year later.
Thanks to his technique, pace, work rate and commitment, Amiri, who appeared rather shy and reserved off the pitch, shone with the pros making a total of 115 appearances – in the Bundesliga, the DFB Cup and Europa League through to the Champions League. The new Werkself number 11 scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists in total.
Since making his debut for the Germany youth team in November 2013, Amiri has regularly been invited to play for the Germany junior teams. Most recently that was at the U 21 European Championships in Italy and San Marino back in June – and that despite the 22-year-old not only missed the whole first half of last season due to a stress fracture in his left metatarsal but also with the campaign ending early for him due to a torn ligament in his left ankle.
The U 21 European Champion of 2017 did demonstrate his value in this year's competition: Amiri played in all five of Germany's games. The number 18 played a significant part in winning the silver medal with three goals and two assists that impressively repaid the confidence shown in him by coach Stefan Kuntz.
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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