
With the achievement of this award, the clubs have taken a pioneering position in professional sport. In cooperation with the Swiss organisation ‘sustainable///sports’, a pilot phase of the ‘sustainClub’ was developed and certificated by the independent expert organisation DEKRA. It is the first and only recognised sustainability standard and orientation framework in professional football.

“As a club, we are very happy about achieving the silver status. I’d like to thank everybody who made a contribution to that,” said Fernando Carro, chairman of the board at Bayer 04. “In the assessment of the experts, we not only recognise it as an award but also appreciate it as additional incentive to continuously improve in the area of sustainability.”
The six participating clubs have accepted the challenge in terms of sustainability in professional football and have committed themselves to achieving a better future in three areas of sustainability (economy, ecology and community). The standard contains the setting up of a CSR and sustainability management system, a sustainability analysis and the identification of concrete improvement options.


In glorious sunshine and temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius, the Bayer 04 Women have begun their preparations for the new season. With a relaxed first session at the Kurtekotten training centre, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team became the first Bundesliga side to resume training after a 37-day break.
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Black and Red stand out. Under the slogan ‘Diversity under the Cross’, Bayer 04 took part in Pride on the Rhine at the weekend alongside the queer fan club “Bayer 04 Junxx”. The club mascot, Brian the Lion, and several members of staff were also in attendance, championing diversity and solidarity.
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Centre-back Melissa Friedrich is set to remain at Bayer 04 for another year. The longest-serving player in the squad, who joined the club in 2016, has extended her contract to 2027.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Portugal U21 international Afonso Moreira. The 21-year-old winger joins the club from French top-flight side Olympique Lyon on a contract to 30 June 2031. In France last year, the left-winger made 37 appearances in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the UEFA Europa League, scoring a total of eight goals and providing eleven assists.
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