Runge takes charge of U17s – Continuity with U19 coaching staff

Continuity in the head coach role with the oldest youth team: Sven Hübscher, working under the Bayer Cross for the past 18 months, will again be responsible for the Leverkusen U19 team next season, his assistant coach is Markus Daun. The Hübscher team missed out by just one goal in the semi-finals of the U19 German championships last weekend. Bayer 04 finished third in the U19 Bundesliga West.

Walther is new U17 FItness coach

The U17 team will have a new head coach for the 2022/23 season: The Spaniard Sergi Runge, who speaks fluent German and is currently the assistant coach of the team, now takes charge of the Bayer 04 U17 squad. "Sergi has made a very good impression on recent months. He has quickly settled in to his new role and he has everything required to be the coach in charge," said Thomas Eichin, head of the Youth and Women's teams at Bayer 04.

Runge came to Leverkusen at the beginning of March from the world famous Barcelona academy. The 28-year-old was assistant coach of the U16 side at the top Spanish club. Before that, Runge was assistant coach of the first team and head coach of the U17s at the top Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelnse.

In addition to assistant coach Thomas Zdebel, Runge will have a new fitness coach from the summer: Philipp Walther joined Leverkusen from the Fortuna Düsseldorf U17s. The Fortuna U17s qualified for the semi-finals of the German Championships last season with the 28-year-old in charge of fitness.

Coaching line-up for 2022/23:

U19: Sven Hübscher, Markus Daun

U17: Sergi Runge, Thomas Zdebel

Academy team/U16: Benjamin Adam, TBA

U15: Mirko Casper, Marvin Schmitz

U14: Pierre de Wit, Fritz Vosen

U13: Erdal Celik, Marco Walter

U12: Yannick Lamberz, Dominik Kepper

U11: Alexander Nuss, Achim Gödde

U10: Sebastian Lang, René Färber

U9: Tim Molowitz​, TBA

U8: Jürgen Haagmans, Mark Fuldauer, Dennis Sartory