"Panagiotis Retsos had several offers from top clubs playing in Europe this season. That makes it even more gratifying for us that he decided to sign for Bayer 04 Leverkusen – particularly as he played a key role in Olympiakos qualifying for the Champions League," said Bayer 04 sporting director Rudi Völler. "Panagiotis is a young pro with special talents and he fits in perfectly with our requirements. He represents an investment in the future of the club."
The 19-year-old became the youngest-ever captain of the reigning Greek champions at the age of 18 years, five months and 30 days. Retsos mainly played in central defence for Olympiakos. The right-footer, who joins the Greece national team under coach Michael Skibbe on Thursday night for the World Cup qualifier against Estonia, can also play on the flanks. "Bayer Leverkusen have always played in the Champions League in recent years despite strong domestic competition and that really impressed me," said Retsos. "The offer from a club like this makes me proud and, of course, I'm really looking forward to playing in the Bundesliga – for me one of the best and most attractive leagues in Europe."
In Panagiotis Retsos the Werkself coach Heiko Herrlich now has a player "who was at the top of our list. It's good the club management have been able to conclude a successful move," said Herrlich. "It wasn't easy as such a talented lad like Panagiotis is very much in demand. I'm very happy that we were able to complete the deal."
Return leg in London: tonight, Thursday 18 April (kick-off 21:00 CEST), the Werkself visit West Ham United. All the information you need on the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg at the London Stadium is in the Matchday News.
Show moreAfter the week’s celebrations of the club’s first ever league title, Bayer 04 are now focused once again on their UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg away at West Ham United on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CEST). The Werkself are in a good position with a 2-0 lead from the first game, but it’s not over yet, as head coach Xabi Alonso and midfielder Granit Xhaka stressed at their pre-match press conference in London on Wednesday evening.
Show moreThe German Football League (DFL) has launched the vote for the Bundesliga Team of the Season. As of now, fans of the Werkself can select no fewer than eight Bayer 04 players in the top XI of the 2023/24 campaign: on the shortlist are Lukas Hradecky, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Alejandro Grimaldo, Granit Xhaka, Exequiel Palacios, Florian Wirtz and Victor Boniface. Voting closes on Monday 22 April at 9:00 CEST.
Show moreBayer 04 Women have the chance to surpass their points total from last season with three games remaining in the Google Pixel Bundesliga as they visit RB Leipzig for Matchday 19 on Friday (kick-off: 6.30pm CEST). Victory against the promoted side would take Robert de Pauw’s team onto 31 points, one more than they managed in their 22 fixtures in 2022/23.
Show moreIn contrast to the Werkself, West Ham United didn’t experience an exhilarating Sunday at the weekend: for the first time in 23 years, the Hammers lost the London derby at home to Fulham in the Premier League. This Thursday, 18 April (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), West Ham will now be looking to overturn the 2-0 first-leg deficit in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bayer 04.
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