On the return of Xabi Alonso, the mayor of San Sebastian, Eneko Goia, introduced the 2010 Spanish World Cup winner. Alonso and Javier García, president of the Fundación Columbus, fielded questions from media. We bring you the key statements from the Bayer 04 head coach.
Xabi Alonso on...
…the background to the game: We are united for a good cause. I encourage everybody to come along as the reason for this match is very special. We will help a lot of families with the proceeds from the game. Help to change the lives of a lot of children. It's a day to party.
...the meeting with Real Sociedad: A lot of people will be coming to the game who I know from my time here. I've shared a lot with them, they are very close to my heart. They are building a great project here, which is admired throughout the world, and they are doing that with lots of energy. I'm very much looking forward to seeing them all again.
...the sporting aspect of the clash: We are in the preseason exactly as are La Real We want to approach this friendly so that everybody can play. And we want to win it.
…the club Real Sociedad: I really learned a lot in my three years here as coach. Now I'm able to implement my knowledge at a big club like Bayer 04 with an outstanding team. Lots of players in the reserve side, who I trained here a year ago, have made the step up to the first team. It's a good team full of energy. The club has made impressive progress in recent years.
A bitter end to the fifth showdown of the 2025/26 VBL Club Championship as the #B04eSports team failed to take any points in the three remaining matches of the preliminary online round of the fifth and final showdown, missing out on the offline round. They can no longer take points in the overall table. Bayer 04 slipped out on the top eight, so direct participation in the final event for the German Club Championship is no longer possible, with Bayer 04 having to contest the play-offs.
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With the much-celebrated 2-1 derby win against 1. FC Köln, the Bayer 04 Women underlined their credentials as one of the top teams in the Bundesliga. Anyone wishing to support the Werkself in the stadium in the race for third place can now purchase tickets for the home match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Tickets are also still available for the upcoming clash against TSG Hoffenheim at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Sunday, 22 February. The latest information at a glance.
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Let's give it our all one more time! Today, Tuesday 17 February (live on the VBL Twitch channel from 18:00 CET), the #B04eSports team play the remaining three preliminary round matches of the fifth and final showdown of the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. The Leverkusen console pros go up against 1. FC Nürnberg, 1. FC Magdeburg and Bayern Munich, aiming to secure their place in the offline knockout round and pick up valuable points for the overall table and the battle to get into the final event for the German Club Championship. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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So here we go again: Four weeks after the 2-0 home win in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, Olympiacos host the Werkself at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis this Wednesday, 18 February (kick-off: 21:00 CET - live on Werkself Radio) for the second encounter in a short space of time. It's the first leg of the knockout play-offs, and it's likely to be another high-intensity clash in a fiery atmosphere.
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The Werkself impressed in the 4-0 home win over FC St. Pauli with a performance that pleased head coach Kasper Hjulmand that had previously being missing and which he now wants to "use as a boost". Defenders Jarell Quansah and Edmond Tapsoba in particular once again stood firm at the back and scored at the other end - the latter now has the most goal involvements by a centre-back in the top five leagues. However, the Bayer 04 players are already looking forward to the forthcoming fixtures with a hunger for success and optimism. The Werkself review of the game on Carnival Saturday.
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