In 2008, Constant joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen. However, the full-back made only nine appearances in his first Bundesliga season, as he was unable to displace his rival for the left-back position, Michal Kadlec. Constant impressed above all with his pace and attacking style of play. In total, he made ten competitive appearances for the Werkself.
The Ivorian then joined Hannover 96 on loan. There, he made a further 38 Bundesliga appearances and developed into an experienced defender. In 2011, he moved to Eintracht Frankfurt.
It was at Eintracht Frankfurt that he enjoyed his most successful spell in Germany. Between 2011 and 2016, he made 81 appearances, scoring three goals and providing seven assists. He particularly came to the fore during the 2013/14 season with a series of strong performances. Eintracht Frankfurt subsequently extended his contract by two years.
Constant was regarded as a passionate and spirited player and was mainly deployed on the left wing. His dynamism and commitment also made him a favourite with the Frankfurt fans. After five years at Eintracht, his time there came to an end in the summer of 2016.
Constant went on to play for FC Nürnberg and Hessen Dreieich. He later moved to France, where he played for AS Poissy and AS Chatou, amongst others. He also represented the Ivory Coast national team. Today, Djakpa lives in France and still plays occasionally for the Paris Saint-Germain veterans’ team.
Dear Constant, I wish you all the best on your 40th birthday. Stay well and enjoy the celebrations.
Harry Gniech was born on 14 October 1951 in Leverkusen-Schlebusch. At the age of six, he joined SV Bayer 04, initially in the athletics section. The boy actually wanted to play football, but was only allowed to switch to the football team when he turned nine. Harry quickly established himself as a playmaker in midfield. Despite his talent, the path from the youth team to the first-team squad was a long one back then. In the 1973–74 season, his former U19 coach, Friedhelm Renno – who was by then in charge of Bayer 04’s first team – selected him for his first match with the professional squad.
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Henrique Adriano Buss, known as Henrique, was born on 14 October 1986 in Marechal Cândido Rondon, a town in the Brazilian state of Paraná. At the age of 13, he joined Coritiba FC and made the step up to the first team in 2006. Henrique helped the team gain promotion to the Brazilian top flight and then moved on to Palmeiras FC. After just five matches for his new club, the 1.85-metre-tall centre-back was signed by Barcelona in 2008 for ten million euros and loaned to Bayer 04 for one year for a fee of €400,000.
Show moreConstant Djakpa was born on 17 October 1986 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He started playing football at the age of five. He took his first steps in professional football at Stella Club d’Adjamé, before moving on to Sogndal IL in Norway. His path eventually led him to Germany via the Romanian club Pandurii Târgu Jiu.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of October. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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In the first week of October 1966, professional footballers decided to take an unusual step – they went on strike. They felt compelled to resort to this action, which was relatively uncommon until then, to give greater weight to their demands for fair pay. They reasoned that, with three draws, they were entitled to a bonus; at the very least, a points bonus of 75 Deutschmarks that was agreed before the start of the season.
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