24.08.2023Bayer 04

60 years of the Bundesliga: Kießling, Vollborn & Co. in big football quiz on Sky

24 August 1963 is a historic date in German sport: On that day, football was played for the first time in the Bundesliga, the new top-flight in Germany where the best clubs competed for the German title in a competition organised nationally rather than regionally. That was the start of a unique success story. The network of football museums and club archives organised a "Day of action of German football history" for today's 60th anniversary of the Bundesliga. The main event: The German Football League (DFL) and the pay-TV channel Sky organised a big football quiz at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. A Bayer 04 team took part fielding exciting questions around the history of the leak. The quiz is broadcast by Sky at 19.00 CEST tonight Thursday 24 August and will also be available on the broadcaster's YouTube channel.

Stefan Kießling (Club representative), Rüdiger Vollborn (Bayer 04 record appearance maker), Meinolf Sprink (Director of Fans/Community) and Sebastian Pöschke (Home end committee member and Bayer 04 fan) took part for Bayer 04. The quiz hosts were the football comedian Ben Redelings and TV presenter Thomas Wagner. The three rounds of questions are answered by representatives from a total of 21 current and former Bundesliga clubs including archivists, historians, directors and club legends. Bayer 04 record appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn: "It was a fun and entertaining evening with unusual questions – and also unusual answers," revealed the 60-year-old.

Werkself fans who want to see how Vollborn and Co. got on, and test their own knowledge at the same time, can watch the quiz from 19.00 CEST on this Thursday night both as highlights on TV as well as on the Sky YouTube channel.

Talk under the cross with Rolfes, Vollborn and Gelsdorf

Other events for the "Day of action of German football history" are being held at many clubs that helped shape the history of the most popular sport in Germany. The league anniversary will also be celebrated in Leverkusen tonight: Werkself fans can delve into the Bundesliga history of Bayer 04 at a "Talk under the Cross" at the 19zerofour lounge at the BayArena from 19.00 CEST. Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes, Bayer 04 record appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn and Jürgen Gelsdorf (former player, coach, head of youth at Bayer 04 and Silver Lions ambassador) will reminisce together. The host for the talk is stadium announcer Tobias Ufer.

Entrance is free of charge but please register beforehand by sending an email to ruediger.vollborn@bayer04.de. Doors open at 18.30 CEST.

Photos: @fussballmuseum/Stephan Schütze

Related News

Club - 26.05.2026

Successful season finale: Members event at the BayArena

Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.

Bayer 04 - 25.05.2026

Season review 2025/26, part II: Highs and lows of an eventful season

Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.

Bayer 04 - 25.05.2026

Rogier Meijer leaves Bayer 04 to join Sparta Rotterdam as head coach

Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.

Bayer 04 - 24.05.2026

2025/26 season review, part I: Upheaval, change, euphoria

Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.