Werner Wenning, who brought Rolfes back under the Bayer Cross as chair of the shareholders committee in 2018, said: "Simon Rolfes has understood in a special way how to combine his experience and qualities as a player with the demands of management. He has great expertise in the game and an outstanding eye for talent in the global market but he also has an enormous work rate and the unmistakable DNA of Bayer 04. We are very happy that Simon Rolfes will continue to put these qualities to the service of Bayer 04."
Simon Rolfes said: "Bayer 04 was and is a part of my life. I've learned a lot here and I'm happy that I can contribute to the further development of the club together with a lot of professional and committed colleagues. We have achieved a lot in recent years and gained enormous quality and not just on the pitch. Beyond that, Bayer 04 have a lot of what a demanding, modern club hungry for success need to offer. I really have fun working in such professional environment. So I'm very happy to be able to continue together along this exciting path."
Simon Rolfes joined Bayer 04 as a player in 2005 from Alemannia Aachen. Up to the end of his playing career ten years later, he made 377 appearances for the Werkself, scored 49 goals and played a leading role in the team as captain. During his time at Leverkusen, Rolfes made his debut for Germany earning 26 caps and taking part in the 2008 European Championships. After ending his playing career, he completed the two-year UEFA course 'Master for International Players' (MIP). Rolfes returned to Bayer 04 in 2018 to take up the post as head of youth and development and he took over from Jonas Boldt as sporting director five months later. Rolfes was the successor to Rudi Völler in the role of sporting managing director on 1 July 2022.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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