Bayer 04 representatives at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris were Fernando Carro, CEO, and sporting managing director Simon Rolfes.
Carro: "It's exceptional recognition for the club to be nominated in three categories of the Ballon d'Or. We are very proud of what we've achieved and are happy that Bayer 04 Leverkusen was able to be an important part of this significant event tonight.”
Rolfes: "The historic season in 2023/24 once again provides a big stage for Bayer 04 at the award of this year's Ballon d'Or. Our players Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and Alejandro Grimaldo, our coach Xabi Alonso and also the whole performance over the season of Bayer 04 Leverkusen are recognised by the nominations. That makes us proud and gives us a boost."
Bayer 04 were nominated in the Men's Club of the Year category alongside Borussia Dortmund, Girona, Manchester City and Real Madrid. Real Madrid won the award.
Head coach Xabi Alonso was in the Men's Team Coach category that was awarded the first time this year. Also nominated were Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Lionel Scaloni (Argentina) and Luis de la Fuente (Spain). Carlo Ancelotti won the category.
Alejandro Grimaldo (28th place), Granit Xhaka (16th place) and Florian Wirtz (12th place) were the three members of the Werkself squad nominated among the 30 players in the Men's Ballon d'Or category. Manchester City midfielder Rodri was the winner on the night.
About the Ballon d’Or:
The Ballon d'Or (in English: ‘Golden ball’“) has been presented by the French football journal France Football since 1956 to the best football players for the individual calendar year. Since 2022, the Ballon d'Or has not only been presented by France Football but also by the European governing body UEFA. Originally designed only for European players from European clubs, the award was opened up to all players in Europe from 1995. Since then the winner has also been named European Footballer of the Year.
The VBL Club Championship by WOW 2025/26 continues today, Tuesday 18 November, with the last two of the six online preliminary round matches in the second showdown. Starting at 18:00 CET, Bayer 04 face Karlsruher SC, followed by Borussia Mönchengladbach at 19:00 CET. The games will be streamed live on the Bayer 04 app and on the club Twitch channel. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Just 11 days after their last encounter in the Bundesliga, Bayer 04 Women meet Hamburger SV again. On Sunday (15:00 CET), the two teams will be battling it out at the Volksparkstadion for a place in the DFB Cup quarter-finals. Coach Roberto Pätzold is aware of his team's status as favourites against the promoted outfit - and knows what it will come down to against the awkward opponents.
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Bayer 04 Women goalkeeper Charlotte Voll has been hit by injury again. The 26-year-old suffered an acromioclavicular joint separation in her left shoulder in the latter stages of the Bundesliga match at SC Freiburg on Monday and is set to be sidelined for a number of months. She underwent successful surgery in Düsseldorf on Friday.
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Like they did in the first showdown of the VBL Club Championship by WOW, which the Leverkusen gamers won in spectacular style, Marc and Sean Landwehr also started the second showdown with six points by beating TSG Hoffenheim and VfL Bochum 1848, last-16 participants of the first showdown. The #B04eSports team suffered defeat to SV Darmstadt 98 and Hertha BSC. Meanwhile, Keanu Senkbeil made his VBL CC debut in the clash with the capital club.
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The Bayer 04 Women will end 2025 with the Bundesliga top match against Bayern Munich on Monday night, 22 December. The schedule for matchdays 12 to 15 has been announced by the German Football Association (DFB). In addition to two away games on Fridays, Leverkusen also have a home game on a Saturday lunchtime.
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