"Matej Kovar is big, strong in one-on-ones and is very good with his feet," said Simon Rolfes, Bayer 04 sporting managing director, in describing the qualities of the Czech keeper. "He's a player with great prospects and we have high hopes for him in the coming years."
Kovar made 32 appearances as the number one keeper at Sparta Prague last season and he kept a clean sheet 11 times. Before his move to Germany, he had detailed discussions with his Czech fellow countrymen, the former Leverkusen player Michal Kadlec. "Michal not only told me all about the Bundesliga but also Bayer 04 Leverkusen in particular," said the goalkeeper. "He described the club to me in glowing detail. I'm very excited about the quality of this team. From what I've seen so far, I can hardly wait for the next few years."
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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