Where hasn’t he been: From his native Holland, the pro footballer Bosz went to Japan via France. The came a six-month spell at Hansa Rostock and his playing career ended in 2000 after time at several other clubs in the Netherlands. Bosz then moved on to being a coach: Feyenoord in Rotterdam, Maccabi Tel-Aviv (Israeli record champions), Ajax in Amsterdam, Borussia Dortmund – and now eleven months at Bayer 04. The core belief of the coach, whose football philosophy was strongly influenced by Johan Cruyff: “The primary aim for us is always wanting to win. But we also want fans to be excited after the game when they go home and to have experienced a wow effect over the 90 minutes.”
In addition to the coach, Christian Hausmann celebrated his 56th birthday on Thursday. The West Berliner signed for Bayer 04 from the Reinickendorfer Füchsen in 1986. He won the UEFA Cup with the Werkself in 1988. Hausmann now works in the fan/community affairs section at Bayer 04 and is also assistant coach of the Veterans team. Happy Birthday!
World Cup winner and European Champion Günter Netzer showered great praise on the Bayer 04 youngster and Germany international Kai Havertz at the Germany v Northern Ireland international (final score: 6-1). “If you understand football then you have to admire him from the very first sight,” said the 75-year-old. “He’s brilliant, he has a view of the game like nobody else. He’ll definitely be a great player.” Germany coach Joachim Löw called up the 20-year-old to his squad. Havertz suffered a thigh injury a few days before the international break and was forced to drop out.
In addition to Netzer’s praise, Havertz can also be happy about his nomination for the vote for the North-Rhine Westphalia Footballer of the Year. In addition to the Bayer 04 pro, Marco Reus (Dortmund), Yann Sommer (Mönchengladbach), Alexander Nübel (Schalke 04) and Oliver Fink (Düsseldorf) have been nominated. The ballot ends on 1 December and votes can be cast at nrw-sportlerdesjahres.de.
Hakan Calhanoglu has not forgotten his time at Bayer 04. This week, the 25-year-old said in an interview with Sport Bild: “I still have a soft spot for Leverkusen. Bayer will always be my home.” The Turkey international scored 28 goals for the Werkself in 115 games before moving on to AC Milan in the summer of 2017.
Bernd Schneider wore the Bayer 04 shirt for ten years (1999 to 2009). He played for the Werkself in the DFB Cup and Champions League finals and he was in the Germany team in the World Cup final. ‘Schnix’ never lifted a trophy but still looks back at his career as a player with great pleasure. “I achieved a lot of what I dreamt about as a teenager,” said the 46-year-old, who was voted into the Bundesliga Allstars by the Werkself fans, in the current DFL magazine.
This week, Bayer 04 TV interviewed the Werkself left back Wendell. When asked about his idol, the Brazilian named two people – including a fellow countryman who played under the Bayer Cross. Other areas discussed included: the competition for places, Brazilian cuisine and the 26-year-old’s beard. The video is on the Bayer 04 Facebook page.
Thomas Eichin has been working for Bayer 04 for six years – as Director of Professional Teams since July 2023 – and has contributed to the successful development of our club in many areas. Today, Friday 9 October, Freiburg-born Eichin is celebrating his 60th birthday. We wish him a very happy birthday.
Show more
The Bayer 04 women’s team secured a win in the friendly during the international break. Without a total of eight international players, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team defeated Bundesliga 2 side Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–1 at the Kurtekotten Training Centre, thanks to goals from Lobke Loonen (1’, penalty), Caroline Kehrer (41') and Valentina Mädl (66').
Show more
Together with his family, friends and close associates, Bayer 04 Leverkusen bid farewell to Peter Hermann. The club’s long-serving assistant manager passed away on 19 September following a serious illness. Today, Thursday 8 October, Bayer 04 held an event attended by around 200 invited guests to commemorate Peter Hermann’s legacy. Representatives from the DFB and the other professional clubs where Hermann worked paid their respects to him at the BayArena.
Show more
Bayer 04 will have to manage without striker Christian Kofane in the coming weeks. The 20-year-old sustained a muscle injury to his left thigh on international duty with the Cameroon national team during the recent international break. This will prevent him from playing in the upcoming Werkself matches.
Show more
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
Show more
