Back
1.09.2024Bayer 04

Birthday boy of the month II: Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker turns 40

Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker was born in Schleswig on 23 September 1984. He started his story as a footballer in the state of Schleswig-Holstein at the small village club with TSV Bollingstedt. When his parents moved to Bonn for work in 1995, he signed for SV Beuel 06, a club in the former Federal German capital of Bonn.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

Playing in attacking midfield, he came to attention of a Bayer 04 youth scout and he joined the Werkself U14 squad in 1998. Then he dropped back into different positions – first in central defence in midfield for the U16 and U17 teams and then he was a central defender with the U19 and U 23 teams. His way of playing in the back four, that is doing his job in a solid and reliable fashion, attracted the attention of the first-team coaches at the Werkself. He completed his first training session with the first team at the age of 17. Coach Klaus Toppmöller included him in individual sessions with the senior squad in the 2002 season of the three runners-up finishes.

Jan-Ingwer made his debut in the Bundesliga in April 2004 in a 6-0 home win against FC Kaiserslautern. He came on for Juan on 79 minutes. A year later, in March 2005, he scored his first goal for Bayer 04 with a header from a free kick. His career didn't really take off in Leverkusen. He only played 54 Bundesliga games and scored three goals in five years under the Bayer Cross from 2003 to 2008. He did collect valuable experience in his time with the Werkself U23 team but he picked up different injuries including a torn ankle ligament that led to a lot of other injuries and constant muscular problems. He was popular with the Bayer 04 fans. They celebrated his unusual name with chants to the melody of the 80s disco hit Vamos a la Playa by the Italian band Righeira: “Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker oh ohoohoho.

Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker

For the 2008/09 season the lanky central defender moved on to Borussia Mönchengladbach. He was unable to get a regular start there, due in part to an ongoing ligament injury that cost him almost the whole of the 2009/10 season. In January 2011 he started playing for FC Augsburg and he went up to the Bundesliga with the team as a key player and leader and in eight years, with a six-month loan to FC Kaiserslautern, he made 148 appearances for Augsburg.

In 2011 he got to know the sports scientist Lars Lienhard who pursued a neurocentric approach to training and the interest of Jan-Ingwer grew and he took part in online and in-person events during his time at Augsburg. When his career ended after the 2018/19 season, he received an offer from the DFB Academy in Frankfurt to set up a neuronal training centre where he developed programs and training methods for the practice with coaches and experts at the academy.

Jan-Ingwer today lives in Augsburg with his wife and his two children, he is the fitness coach for the Germany Women's team and a member of the FC Augsburg supervisory committee since December 2019.

Dear Jan-Ingwer, I wish you many happy returns on being 40. Stay fit and healthy and have a great time celebrating.

 

Related News

Hans Sarpei wird 50 | Geburtstagskind des Monats Juni
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

Birthday boy of the month: Hans Sarpei turns 50

Hans Sarpei was born on 28 June 1976 in Tema, Ghana, and came to Germany with his parents at the age of three, where he grew up in Cologne. Even before he was born, his mother and father worked in Hamburg in the import-export sector. There they met an older man who introduced them to German culture and supported them. Out of gratitude, Hans was later given his first name, although this man died before he was born. Hans comes from a sporting family; his older brother Edward and his nephews Hans Nunoo Sarpei and Kingsley Sarpei were or are also professional footballers.

Show more
Sepp Kretschmann und Hans Bochniak
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

From the archives: 70 years ago - A coach quits

On 3 June 1953, Hans-Josef (‘Sepp’) Kretschmann became the fifth coach in the history of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Born in Allenstein, East Prussia, on 21 March 1902, the football coach first studied to become a teacher before later switching to football. He took over the Werkself from Franz Strehle, under whom the team twice managed to stay in the 1st Oberliga West. However, Strehle did not extend his contract in Leverkusen after these two very successful years.

Show more
Heimspiel gegen Borussia Dortmund am 5. Juni 1976
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

Match of the month: 50 years ago - All or nothing

After promotion to Bundesliga North 2 in the summer of 1975, Bayer 04 are fighting relegation just eight months later. The club expects full commitment from everyone in this precarious situation. Promotion coach Manfred Rummel is to give up his main job as a teacher at the Mülheim special school and become a full-time coach at Bayer 04. The coach, who is very popular with the team, does not see himself in a position to fulfil the club's request. Despite a 2-0 home win against SpVgg Erkenschwick, Manfred Rummel is put on gardening leave by "mutual agreement".

Show more
Süddeutschlandreise im Juni 1951
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

History: 75 years ago - The 1950/51 season (June)

Bayer 04, already been promoted to the 1st Oberliga West, played friendly after friendly in the second half of May 1951. And that continued throughout the following month.

Show more
Jacek Krzynowek wird 50 | Geburtstagskind des Monats Mai
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2026

Birthday boy of the month: Jacek Krzynowek turns 50

Jacek Krzynowek was born on 15 May 1976 in Kamiensk, Poland, and grew up as a typical country boy. He spent his childhood less in structured training sessions and more on simple pitches, where he spent hours playing football with older boys. He realised early on that he had exceptional shooting power and enormous stamina. But for a long time, he didn't appreciate just how much talent he had. While others dream of a great career, professional football initially seems like a distant world to him that he only knows from television.

Show more