The Germany keeper signed a contract to 30 June 2020, "because I feel at home here in Leverkusen. Over the past few years I've seen constant improvement, not just with my game, but in the whole team and am completely convinced that this is the right step for me," said Leno. "This club has set itself very ambitious targets and I share them too."
The sporting director Rudi Völler believes the agreement with the 24-year-old is "incredibly important. Bernd has always believed in our club – and we in him too – and we took him on as a 19-year-old from the third division to become our regular first choice keeper," declared Völler. "He's a player that wants to go places with us. So I'm very happy that we were able to extend his contract."
CEO Michael Schade also sees the agreement with Leno as "an enormously important factor in building a Werkself team for the future. Bernd is a great goalkeeper," added Schade. "For the past five years he's proved this week by week, game by game. In the truest sense of the word we have secured the services of an exceptional shot-stopper over the long term."
With this successful move in building the squad head coach Roger Schmidt has secured another key position following the contract extensions with Karim Bellarabi and Wendell: "In spite of his youth Bernd has established himself as a key player for Bayer 04, is improving year by year and deservedly a key part of the Germany senior side," said Schmidt. "He's a complete goalkeeper even if he has the potential to improve even further. When you can secure a key player like that then it's a good sign for the club and for us as a team."
Bayer 04 welcome St. Pauli to the BayArena in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with the club using the game to call for fans to donate food to the Leverkusen Foodbank.
Show moreBayer 04 Women are looking to finish what’s already the best first half of a Bundesliga season in their history with the huge scalp of the league leaders as Wolfsburg come to the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Friday (kick-off: 6.30pm CET). Victory would even see Roberto Pätzold’s side go top of the table overnight at least.
Show moreWith two days to go until the top-of-the-table clash against VfL Wolfsburg in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga, bayer04.de looks back over Bayer 04 Women's international exploits. Eleven players were in action with their countries in recent days – with mixed success. Seven of them represented either the Germany U23s or U20s, while one player scored three goals in total.
Show moreThe holders against the record winners: this high-profile clash lived up to expectations. In the DFB Pokal round of 16, Bayer 04 and FC Bayern Munich delivered a hard-fought contest. In the end it was the Werkself who progressed to the quarter-finals thanks to ruthless efficiency in attack and composure in defence. Head coach Xabi Alonso remains unbeaten against FC Bayern as Leverkusen coach after five meetings – something never achieved by a Bundesliga coach before. The Werkself Review.
Show moreBayer 04 claimed a 1-0 win away at Bayern Munich to reach the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal. Nathan Tella headed in the only goal of the evening in the 68th minute for the reigning double winners in a heated affair, where Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was shown an early red card.
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