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In 1986/ 87 he finished runner-up in the league with his team and with 24 goals the top scorer in the Ekstraklasa, Poland's top-flight. In 1986 he played his first of 20 international matches for Poland scoring ten goals along the way. But he mainly played for the Poland Olympic team and in 1988 he used the opportunity of an international trip to Denmark to defect. He fled to the Federal Republic of Germany where he wanted to carry on playing in the Bundesliga. At that time, a Polish international player could only move abroad at the age of 28 otherwise the Polish FA PZPN would refuse them permission to play.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen stepped in to help out the very pacy striker and agreed a transfer fee of two million Deutschmarks with the Polish FA and Pogon Stettin. In addition, Bayer AG delivered medicines to the People's Republic of Poland to a value that by far exceeded the total of the transfer fee.
Marek became a crowd favourite under coach Rinus Michels. His sprints down the wing were only topped by his sprints after scoring in the direction of the fans including jumping on the fence, which he picked up from the Brazilian Tita. A little anecdote: After making it 3-1 against Borussia Mönchengladbach, he again sprinted in the direction of the fence, jumped on it only to discover that he was in front of the Borussia fans. He jumped back off the fence pretty quickly and celebrated with his teammates.
In his four years under the Bayer Cross, 'zigzag Lesniak', as he was called by the Bayer 04 fans for his quick dribbles, made 132 appearances for the Werkself and he scored 23 goals. When general manager Reiner Calmund first brought in the East Germany international Andreas Thom and six months later centre forward Ulf Kirsten to Leverkusen, Marek’s chances of a regular start diminished and he increasingly found himself on the bench. So he moved on in the Bundesliga, first to Wattenscheid 09 then to 1860 Munich and KFC Uerdingen. A year in Switzerland playing for Xamax Neuchatel was not a success. So, he signed for Fortuna Düsseldorf in the second division at the age of 33. He carried on playing up to the age of 40 for Preußen Münster and SSVg Velbert. At his last club, he was player coach and then in the following years in the dugout as coach. In addition to SSVg Velbert he also coached the teams at Wattenscheid 09 and TuSpo Richrath. Today he is the coach of the U19 team at FV Wiehl.
Dear Marek, I wish you many happy returns on your 60th birthday. Stay fit and healthy and look after yourself!
Dieter Bast was born in Oberhausen on 28 August 1951. He began playing football in the youth team at DJK Arminia Klosterhardt, a local club in Oberhausen. Whilst training as a toolmaker, he moved to neighbouring club Sterkrade 06/07 to play for their U19s, where he caught the eye of Bundesliga sides Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Bast opted for Rot-Weiss and played in the Bundesliga from 1970 onwards. In his very first year, he made 22 appearances as a right winger, scoring three goals. Nevertheless, Essen were unable to avoid relegation.
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José Vítor Roque Júnior was born on 31 August 1976 in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. As a youth, he played for São José EC, a club in the east of the state of São Paulo. His professional career began in 1995 with Palmeiras São Paulo. There, Roque Júnior quickly established himself as a key player in the team, making more than 200 appearances and enjoying significant success. With the club, he won the Copa do Brasil in 1998 and the Copa Libertadores in 1999, the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of August. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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The Werkself play their first top-flight match in Bayer 04’s history away at Sportfreunde Katernberg. 7,000 spectators turn up at the Am Lindenbruch stadium in that district of Essen. The Katernbergers have transformed the once ‘barren’ pitch into a real gem. On this Sunday afternoon, 19 August 1951, the lush turf provides the perfect conditions for a good game of football.
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Following a thoroughly successful start with a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg, the Werkself are organising a team event. On Wednesdays, they head to the Nürburgring together and do a few laps at speed. Manager Klaus Toppmöller welcomes this initiative, as it promotes team spirit and integration. During weekly training sessions, the team works extensively on various defensive tactics, as the manager was dissatisfied with his players’ pressing in the final minutes of the match against the Wolves.
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