For this Werkself fan, his position at his favourite club represents a dream come true. "I'm very much looking forward to representing Bayer 04 in the future as the first #B04eSports talent," Said Degner who will primarily start on PlayStation for Bayer 04 and he is due to become an established member of the squad for the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) from the autumn of 2021.
As part of a comprehensive scholarship, the talented teenager will spend a year at the sports college in Leverkusen, also attended by football players like Kai Havertz, and he will be the first student at the #B04eSports Academy. The training at the eAcademy will be provided in partnership with TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen and ensure through daily training the continual development of playing ability as well as work on tactics but also in PR activity as well as the areas of nutrition and fitness. On top of that, the student will also complete his Abitur exams at the Landrat Lucas Grammar School.
Degner impressed the management of the Bayer 04 eSports department in the several months of the selection process not only on the console but also with his soft skills such as dealing with social media. "In Paul we have found a very talented first rookie for our eAcademy who has many qualities for a successful FIFA career on the console," declared Florian Dederichs, head of internationalisation and eSports at Bayer 04. “The holistic approach of academic support and continual development of talent at the eAcademy is a unique project in Germany. Therefore, we are even happier to have found a talent from our region in Paul, which fits in perfectly with this concept."
Steffi Nerius, head of the Leverkusen sports college, added: "The Leverkusen sports college offers young competitive athletes the ideal opportunity to combine school and sport. We are looking forward to being able to look after Paul as the first sports college student at the #B04eSports Academy. In future, he will join 50 athletes from eight different types of sport and train and learn with them. It's a very exciting step for TSV Bayer 04 e.V. in partnership with the Bayer 04eSports Academy. We are happy to be the pioneers in this project."
A special surprise: during the preview for the 'Fierté Burkinabè' documentary about Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer 04 directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes announced Tapsoba's contract extension until 2031 together with the centre-back. He then spoke to Werkself-TV about his time in Leverkusen so far and future ambitions...
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This evening was deeply moving: At a really special setting, Bayer 04 exclusively presented the specially produced documentary ‘Fierté Burkinabè’ ("Burkinabe Pride") about Edmond Tapsoba on Tuesday. For the preview at the BayArena, the parents of the Werkself player and other close companions travelled all the way from his African homeland Burkina Faso. The 45-minute film shows Tapsoba's extraordinary career from his beginnings in Ouagadougou to Leverkusen as well as the work of his foundation "Fondation Edmond Tapsoba", with representatives from Burkina Faso also present. Fans can watch the documentary free of charge on Werkself TV and YouTube from Wednesday night at 20:00 CEST.
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Bayer 04 have signed left-back Carolin Simon from champions Bayern Munich for the coming season. The 33-year-old former Germany international, who played for Leverkusen from 2013 to 2016, has signed a contract to 30 June 2028.
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Bayer 04 Women have strengthened for the coming season with the signing of Lobke Loone. The 23-year-old Dutch striker joins from Utrecht on a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-1 win against SC Freiburg on the 23rd matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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