The FCSA was founded in 2007 by the charitable and independent foundation Scort, which is based in Switzerland. The network brings professional football clubs together to enable them to make a sustainable commitment to development aid. Bayer 04 has worked for many years in crisis areas and regions formerly affected by conflict.
This includes the Werkself starting 13 international projects with different modules. For example, a number of Bayer 04 coaches have worked with youth coaches in Uganda, Colombia, Vietnam and Tanzania since 2009 where they were able to share their knowledge with 726 newly trained coaches who were then able to pass that on to children and teenagers locally.
Marc-Andre Buchwalder, CEO of the Scort Foundation/Football Club Social Alliance, said: "The alliance has developed football as a sustainable instrument of development and Bayer 04 has been an integral part of this partnership for over 10 years. Thousands of young coaches in areas of conflict have benefited from their expertise and they then had a positive influence through sport on another 100,000 children. Thank you Bayer 04, thank you Leverkusen and we wish you lots of success in the Europa League."
Fernando Carro, chairman of the board at Bayer 04, also endorses the extension to the partnership with the FCSA: "It is very close to our hearts here at Bayer 04 to be able to provide the best possible support in areas of conflict and pass on our expertise to the young coaches locally."
On the Scort Foundation:
The Scort Foundation is a charitable, politically and religiously independent foundation based in Switzerland. They are committed to the area of 'sport for development' where sport is used as a medium to achieve different health, social and locally relevant targets. Through the development and implementation of training projects in crisis areas and regions formerly affected by conflict, Scort supports young adults who can act as community leaders in their societies. The Scort Foundation is also a partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Against this background, the Scort Foundation founded the Football Club Social Alliance (FCSA) in 2007. Together with Scort, the FCSA trains young adults to be children's football coaches in areas of crisis and former conflict. In their position as coaches, they can have a positive effect on the lives of countless children as role models and direct contacts.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has secured a new network partner in Extreme Networks GmbH. The leading provider of AI-powered network automation has agreed a five-year partnership with the Bundesliga club, running until 30 June 2031. As part of this, the club’s existing Wi-Fi 5 infrastructure will be replaced by more than 400 Wi-Fi 7 access points, which are specifically designed to meet the requirements of a stadium with a high user density. The aim is to enhance the fan experience while optimising operational processes and security.
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New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
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With seven points, Mainz 05 are currently joint seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Bayer 04. In today’s head-to-head clash (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself must be particularly wary of the clinical Mainz strike duo. For Leverkusen fans who have left it to the last minute, there are still a few tickets available from the matchday ticket office. Those following the Black and Reds from home, on the other hand, have a choice: RTL is broadcasting the match on free-to-air TV, and Werkself Radio is also offering the expert commentary of former Bayer 04 player Falko Götz. Today’s matchday news.
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FSV Mainz 05 went into the international break on the back of an away win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Currently sixth in the table, the Rheinhessen side – who have been impressive on the road – now aim to continue their good start to the Bundesliga campaign at home when they face the Werkself on Saturday, 10 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST). In terms of squad selection, Urs Fischer once again has more options at his disposal. Up front, the Mainz coach is likely to continue relying on what is currently the league’s most successful strike partnership. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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