Rudi Völler continues to feel a close bond with his home town in Hessen even after over 40 years in France, Italy and the Rhineland. Not least because of that reason, the 60-year-old was particularly affected a year ago by the terror attack in Hanau.
For the anniversary on 19 February, the local authority decided to restrict the size of the memorial event due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the Congress Park, Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Hessen's Minister-President Volker Bouffier will be joined by Rudi Völler, a freeman of the city of Hanau since 2002. Bayer 04 also pay tribute to the nine victims of the racist attack one year ago.
Bayer 04 we're on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline on Thursday night in the first leg of the Europa League knockout tie at BSC Young Boys. After a first half described by head coach Peter Bosz as "very bad" with a deficit of 3-0 at the break, there was a Black and Red comeback in the second half: The Werkself got back on equal terms at 3-3 in less than 20 minutes. Niklas Lomb and Co. did concede the fourth goal just before the final whistle but the statistics after 90 minutes are on the side of the visitors from Leverkusen:
For more than eleven years, the Robert Enke Foundation (RES) has worked on research into and the treatment of depression. The educational project of 'Robert Enke Foundation on tour' has seen RES visit Leverkusen a number of times. And the project is continuing even during the coronavirus pandemic on a digital basis.
Through the project, the Foundation provides an information platform for interested parties and those affected to find out more about the illness of depression and appropriate support. Bayer 04 fans have the opportunity to make contact with a member of the foundation via an online platform on Saturday 20 February from 11.00 to 15.00 CET. Further information is available HERE.
At the age of nine, Christoph Kramer joined the Bayer 04 youth section from BV Gräfrath. Born in Solingen, he was at Leverkusen for six years before moving on to Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2006. The defensive midfielder returned to Kurtekotten after two seasons to join the U19 squad and then the first team. Kramer 'only' made 28 appearances in the top-flight for Bayer 04 due to loan periods at VfL Bochum and Borussia Mönchengladbach. He almost joined the Foals in 2016 where he has played since.
The 2014 World Cup winner has been an established Bundesliga player for many years and has already made over 200 appearances. Kramer is 30 years old today (Friday). Bayer 04 wish many happy returns to our former youth player.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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