As part of a four-day follow-up in the coastal city of Cartagena, Bayer 04 instructor Peter Quast and Robert Urbanek of FK Austria Vienna trained 39 young football coaches. From 31 March to 4 April it was primarily about conveying training content in the area of children's football. The instructors worked in close cooperation with the Scort Foundation as well as the local partner organisation Fundación Colombianitos.
In addition to refreshing existing knowledge that participants had from previously completed Young Coaches training, the focus was on the inclusion of handicapped children. Young Coach Angie was thrilled by the content conveyed: "If, for example, a disadvantaged child is new to my school then I can now incorporate it as I know more. I've already got some ideas of how I can help out these children."
The participants also received an introduction to impact assessment to be able to better understand the influence of their football activities on the children and the community in the future.
The follow-up also covered holding two football festivals with children from the region. On the third day, handicapped children were invited first and that was followed a day later by a festival with 120 children without handicaps. The participating Young Coaches thereby have the opportunity to immediately apply all the content received over the four-day training course.
"It showed again how important a follow-up is. Over these four years things happen again and again that raise questions or where certain things don't work. We can continue to help them. A follow-up after three or four years serves to reinforce what's been learned," said Bayer 04 instructor Peter Quast on the significance of the measures taken.
The #morethanfootball Action Weeks started on Monday 21 March and run to 14 April. The aim is to highlight how football clubs can live up to their social commitment through a range of activities. The global project initiated by the European Football for Development Network offers participating clubs and organisations the opportunity through a range of theme days to inform their supporters and fans of their own activities in the area of community and social responsibility both on and off the pitch and thereby increase awareness of the role of football within society.
The Werkself took part in the campaign last year. Bayer 04 again present a range of activities on the current theme days. In addition to today’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, that includes the issues of accessibility, social inclusion, awareness, sustainability and climate protection, mental health and much more.
The Werkself and the Bayer 04 Women’s team have also draw attention to the Action Weeks in their recent home games. In addition, the campaign is being supported this year by the Werkself player Robert Andrich and Juliane Wirtz of the Bayer 04 Women's team in their roles as ambassadors.
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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