
The main focus of the project is on social commitment, which Bayer 04 have actively supported and greatly valued for many years.
Bayer 04 were a pioneer in the Bundesliga in 1999 with the introduction of a service for visually impaired fans who now have the chance to follow Werkself matches from the South Stand at the BayArena. Wheelchair users have their own covered area in the South Stand with a good view and a seat for their carer. During the #MorethanFootball Campaign Week, the Bayer 04 Teens Club have organised special day for members and friends with and without visual impairment: At the home game against Wolfsburg on Sunday sensitisation on this issue is centre stage with a special – that is blind – stadium tour and a blind football game. During the Werkself match the Teens can learn about the service of the reporters for the visually impaired and watch a Werkself match from a new perspective.
In addition, 25 teenagers from Austria Vienna will visit their Leverkusen partners in the Scort Foundation from 2 to 9 April. The foundation is responsible for the development and organisation of the Football Club Social Alliance. Since 2009, Bayer 04 have not only been involved in Europe (Ukraine, Kosovo) but also worldwide in Colombia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Palestine, Sudan and Jordan. A total of 1,400 Young Coaches have already been trained worldwide and they have looked after 30,000 children.
In addition, Bayer 04 have long supported community projects. Since 2005, the Bayer 04 Sportförderung gGmbH has presented the Volunteer Award, with the winners receiving a total of €16,000, to socially committed clubs in the area covered by the Middle Rhine and Lower Rhine Associations.
Bayer 04 members of staff, players and coaches continue to be involved in the 'Wir(04)helfen' day of action in a range of projects to renovate or improve kindergarten or children's homes covering gardening work, building huts and much more. In recent years Bayer 04 have made €30,000 available annually. The 'Einfach Fußball Cup' charity tournament has been held twice a year since 2010 to support children and young people with physical and mental disabilities.

This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
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With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
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Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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