
"Uwe Seeler is undoubtedly one of the greatest players Germany has ever had. For following generations of players, including mine, Uwe was an absolute role model," said Simon Rolfes, Bayer 04 sporting managing director. "I played together with his grandson Levin Öztunali at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Our deepest sympathies go to him and all the members of his family."
Rudi Völler, member of the Bayer 04 shareholders committee, said: "It's a shock for me. My thoughts are with his family and my deepest condolences go to them. Uwe was a wonderful man, one of Germany's biggest sporting legends has left us."
Seeler scored 404 goals in 476 appearances for Hamburg SV and he won the German league title and the DFB Cup with the Hanseatic club. He made 72 international appearances for Germany as the centre-forward and he scored 43 goals for his country. He played in four World Cup finals and was a runner-up at Wembley in 1966. He was named honorary captain by the German Football Association (DFB) in 1972. He played a big part in society and he was the first athlete to be awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1970.

Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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