He experienced his biggest sporting success with FC Köln winning the German league title in 1962 and 1964. He earned 15 international caps for Germany and played in the 1962 World Cup in Chile. Leo Wilden also made his mark on Leverkusen.
Wilden joined the Werkself in 1966 and was one of the key players in the team under coach Theo Kirchberg in his second season at Leverkusen when they comfortably won the Regional League West title and thereby qualified for the Bundesliga play-offs. The Bayer team just missed out on making it into Germany's top flight when they finished second behind Kickers Offenbach. "We sensed promotion and were hungry for it," said Leo Wilden back then after a season that inspired euphoria in football fans in Leverkusen.
The defender hung up his boots at the age of 33 but continued to work for Bayer 04. In 1971, Wilden was the deputy to the football chairman Dr. Jürgen Schwericke and he worked in that role under the Bayer Cross up to 1973.
A profile of Leo Wilden, that appeared in July of last year marking his 85th birthday, is HERE.
The final whistle of the current 2025/26 season marks the end of a unique partnership for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. After more than three decades of collaboration and highly eventful times, the Bundesliga football club and the private brewery Bitburger are going their separate ways.
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Around four months after their bitter exit in the DFB Pokal Round of 16, the Bayer 04 Women are once again away to Hamburger SV. On Monday night (18:00 CEST), the Werkself will not only be looking to pick up important points in the final phase of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga at the Volksparkstadion, but also to make amends for their defeat on penalties.
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A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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