Back
1.05.2023Bayer 04

Birthday boy of the month V: Thomas Zdebel turns 50

Thomas Zdebel was born in Katowice on 25 May 1973. He learned to play football there with GKS. At the age of 15 he moved to Düsseldorf with his parents and Germany became his second home. Via the youth set-up at Fortuna Düsseldorf he joined Rot-Weiss Essen. Thomas played for FC Köln for five years from 1992 where he took his first steps in the Bundesliga.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

The energetic and combative midfielder joined the Belgian champions Lierse SK in 1997 and faced the Werkself with the club – in their first ever Champions League match. He went on to play for Genclerbirligi Ankara, where he became a Poland international (14 caps), and in 2003/04 he signed for VfL Bochum. The midfield maestro became the captain at VfL.

crop_20090213_TSG_B04_0026.jpg

Following a dispute with coach Marcel Koller and a subsequent suspension, he moved under the Bayer Cross in January 2009. At Leverkusen, Thomas Zdebel became the back-up for the Chile international Arturo Vidal and he stayed for 18 months going on to play 12 Bundesliga matches for Bayer 04. At the end of his playing career he played for Alemannia Aachen in Bundesliga 2 for a season.

Today he lives in Bergisch-Gladbach with his wife and his two children. He started his coaching career there and that brought him to Leverkusen in 2019 as the assistant coach for the U17 team. His daughter Sofie is also a successful football player with the Werkself Women’s team in the FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga.


Thomas, I wish you all the best and another youth title for Bayer 04.

Related News

Tranquillo Barnetta wird 40 | Geburtstagskind des Monats Mai
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2025

Birthday boy of the month: Tranquillo Barnetta turns 40

Tranquillo Barnetta was born in St. Gallen in Switzerland on 22 May 1985. Quillo, as he was called in the football world, has Italian roots. His great-grandfather emigrated from Italy to the east of Switzerland. Quillo was interested in football early on and he played for the St. Gallen club FC Rotmonten from the age of six. He joined his favourite club FC St. Gallen at the age of 11. There he became a youth international. He won the European Championships with his teammates in the Switzerland U17 team in 2002. The youngsters from Switzerland beat France 4-2 on penalties in the final to become U17 European champions.

Show more
Bayer 04 im Jahr 1964
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2025

From the archives: 60 years ago – The big worry

Since the establishment of the Bundesliga on 28 July 1962 for the 1963/64 season, there have been five Regional Leagues: North, Berlin, West, South-west and South. The champions of those five leagues qualified directly for promotion play-offs that were played in two groups of four teams. That included the two second-placed teams in the West and South-west Regional Leagues. The two runners-up from the North and the South played a qualifier for the eighth place in the promotion games.

Show more
Von Klimke bis Brandt | Tore des Monats Mai
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2025

Goals of the month: From Klimke to Brandt

In this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of May. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.

Show more
Vor 40 Jahren – Torreichstes Bundesliga-Derby | Spiel des Monats Mai
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2025

Match of the month: 40 years ago – Highest scoring Bundesliga derby

There were high summer temperatures in Leverkusen on 25 May 1985. Matchday 32 brings FC Köln to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium with only 13,000 spectators at the derby. That is primarily due to the Werkself with Bayer 04 rarely impressing in that season and they are eleventh in the table before the game just three points ahead of sixteenth, the play-off spot. But with the two points for a win rule back then – two points were awarded for a win – and with the significantly better goal difference, the Werkself need every point to get out of trouble.

Show more
Aufstieg 1975
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2025

History: 50 years ago – Promotion season 1974/75 (May)

It was all or nothing on the final matchday in the Verbandsliga in the 1974/75 season. Only now would it be decided who were champions and thereby participate in the promotion games to the Bundesliga 2 North. The earlier rivals Viktoria Köln, SC Jülich 10 and Bonner SC have fallen by the wayside.

Show more