"After one and a half seasons together, with JAKO being a highly professional and efficient partner, we were happy to enter a closer relationship through a long-term strategy," said Bayer 04 CEO Michael Schade. "Not just because of the improved financial considerations, we are now extending our contractual relationship with JAKO. Our supplier has performed brilliantly since the start of the partnership in 2016. Thanks to the outstanding quality of materials, special service provision, high flexibility and creativity, JAKO has become a premium partner in a very short space of time and we want to hold onto that support and expertise in the future. For JAKO, we were not only the clear number one in the ranking of partners – as we felt on a daily basis and that was, above all, demonstrated by their actions," said Schade.
The company from Hollenbach, a partner of professional clubs in European football for over 20 years, has been able to achieve set marketing targets through the joint venture with Bayer 04. Rudi Sprügel, chairman of the board at JAKO, was also very pleased after the signing of the new four-year contract: "We're very happy to go forward into the future together with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. That means we will remain a partner of a top club with an international profile for at least another four years. This extension is a logical step for us. In the previous 18 months of our partnership, both sides have been living proof of the team approach. We have been able to benefit from the expertise of the club on all levels and we have done our best every day to supply top quality kit to the Werkself and their fans. At the same time, our partnership has brought us closer together. On that basis, we want to develop all aspects of our partnership, increase the visibility of our two brands across all channels and make full use of the great opportunities provided by Bayer 04 Leverkusen. So I'm looking forward to an exciting second half of the season and I'm confident JAKO and the Werkself will soon be seen on the European stage once again."
Bayer 04 sporting director Rudi Völler sees the extension of the contract as the logical continuation of a success story: "Both sides have recognised the great potential of this partnership," said Völler. "We offer JAKO the opportunity to continue to grow alongside a top German club. And our partner continues to supply us with high-quality equipment that is both functional and looks good. The designs and ideas presented to us by JAKO over the last year and a half have all been implemented," declared Völler. "We are now looking forward to new joint projects and ideas."
This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
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With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
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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 personalised 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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From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
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Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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