The Poland international joined the Werkself last summer and is now one of the regular starters in the team in her role as a tough midfield dynamo. Matysik played in seven out of twelve games before the winter break before being sidelined for several weeks with a back problem. The midfielder made her comeback at the weekend against SGS Essen.
"Bayer 04 are the first club abroad for Sylwia. She's fitted in brilliantly with us and taken her chance. We are happy to be able to work with her for another two years," said Linda Schöttler, general manager of the Bayer 04 Women's team, looking forward positively to the forthcoming seasons. Head coach Achim Feifel said: "Sylwia has progressed really well with us over the past year. She is a ball-winner, has an outstanding winning mentality and brings a lot of energy to the pitch with her athleticism."
After striker Milena Nikolic agreed an early contract extension at the start of the year and the goalkeeper Friederike Abt (from VfL Wolfsburg) and Dina Blagojević (SC Sand) became the first two summer signings, the personnel plans for next season are taking shape. Frederike Kempe, who signed for Leverkusen in 2015, and home-grown player Selina Garofalo, who moved up to the senior squad from the second team in 2020, are set to leave at the end of the season. The contracts with the two defenders have not been extended. "We would like to thank Frederike and Selina for their games in a Bayer 04 shirt and wish both of them all the best for the future, both in terms of football and also personally," said Schöttler.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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