
"Exequiel Palacios is a technically gifted midfielder able to score goals and he has the ability to involve his team-mates. He fits in really well with our team and the way we play," said a delighted Rudi Völler as sporting managing director about the transfer that Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfe completed over recent weeks. Now a contract has been signed to 30 June 2025.
"We've been looking at Exequiel Palacios for a long time and he’s really impressed us," said Rolfes. In his last game for River Plate he won the Argentine cup and in 2018 the Copa Libertadores and he was in the final of that competition again in November with River Plate. Exequiel has achieved a lot in spite of his young age. He stands out with his football ability and a remarkable mentality," emphasised Rolfes.
The four-time Argentina international joins the Werkself from River Plate ahead of his original contract running out in 2021. Palacios has played 80 games for the top Argentine club. "I'm very happy to be able to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen, for a club that has been home to a lot of players from South America," declared Palacios. "Bayer 04 have a good reputation here in Argentina. I'm proud to be part of this ambitious club and I'm looking forward very much to the Bundesliga and European games."




Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
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Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
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Like last year, Bayer 04 Women held their summer training camp in Rieden. Coach Roberto Pätzold gives his assessment of the time in the Upper Palatinate, discusses the integration of the 11 new players and the unusual team building measures, gives his thoughts on the friendly and looks ahead to the start of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga season in August.
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Just in time for the start of the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Werkself will hold another open training session on Tuesday 21 July. The session at the BayArena is scheduled to start at 11:00 CEST and will again be available to watch in a live stream. The fans who are there can look forward to a very special surprise.
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Bayer 04 Women rounded off their one-week training camp in the Upper Palatinate with their second friendly win of pre-season. Coach Roberto Pätzold's side beat Czech top-flight outfit Slovan Liberec 6-0 in a match consisting of 4 x 30 minutes. Maja Sternad (8'), Caroline Kehrer (55'), Natasha Kowalski (67', 84') with two direct free kicks, Valentina Mädl (97') and Justine Brandau (107') scored the goals for Leverkusen at 1.FC Rieden's Fenstertechnik-Weinfurtner-Arena.
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