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.
This Wednesday afternoon, the German Football Association (DFB) announced the exact kick-off times for Matchday 6 in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. According to the fixture list, the Bayer 04 Women’s home match against Werder Bremen will be played on Friday, 2 October, at 18:30 CEST.
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Just in time for the start of the school year, everyone was hard at work again at NaturGut Ophoven. For the 21st time, Bayer 04 have supported the annual ‘BioBrotbox’ campaign, which puts together a healthy breakfast for first-year primary school pupils in Leverkusen – and not only contributed 1,904 muesli bars but also plenty of enthusiasm too: Together with the U19 players Burak Kir and Clinton Wilson, Emily Wallrabenstein and Paulina Platner from the Women’s Bundesliga team helped with the packing. The latter was clearly delighted “that Bayer 04 are helping out with regional projects like this and showing their commitment to the local community”.
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A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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