
"Mitchel Bakker is a technically gifted and dynamic player on the wing whose profile fits in perfectly with Bayer 04," explained sporting director Simon Rolfes. "He is still young and capable of developing but he has already gained experience at the highest level at a top European club. Mitchel was an important player for PSG, particularly under coach Thomas Tuchel, and he will increase the quality of our squad. We are certain he is on the verge of a successful future."
Sporting managing director Rudi Völler emphasised the versatility of the 21-year-old Dutchman who joined the top French club from the Ajax academy two years ago. "Mitchel Bakker combines athletic qualities such as pace and strength in challenges with footballing ability. He is a modern full-back with a strong desire to get forwards and he will help our team," said Völler.
For Bakker, who made 40 appearances for PSG last season in Lique 1, the French cup and the Champions League, the move to Leverkusen means an "opportunity to take the next step at an attractive club. The overall package from Leverkusen convinced me. The sporting management did a lot to get me and the conversations were very productive. The club is ambitious and so am I. That goes together."

Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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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 personal 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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