
Bordinggaard is a former player and coach who first advised Bayer 04 in the summer of 2019. "Keld not only played professional football and worked as a coach including many years with the Denmark U21 team. He also has a very strategic view of the development of a football club," said Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes, who successfully completed the UEFA Executive Master for International Players course together with the 58-year-old in 2017.
Thomas Eichin, head of youth and women's football at Bayer 04, added: "Keld has already been able to help out Bayer 04 in his adviser role with valuable advice for the training of our youth coaches. We now want him to bring these important factors into play for the successful development of talent to further strengthen our work and thereby continue to raise the level at the Performance Centre."
Keld Bordinggaard mainly played professional football in Denmark. He won the league title with Odense BK in 1982 as well as with Silkeborg IF in 1994 and he made four international appearances for the European Champions of 1992. After his playing career, he went on to become a coach, as assistant to head coach Morten Olsen with the Denmark team (2002 – 06) and after that he was in charge of the Denmark U21s for five years. In 2014/15, Bordinggaard was assistant coach under Kasper Hjulmand at FSV Mainz 05 and after that year he started to study at UEFA and founded the firm 'Bordinggaard Football'.
"I'm primarily interested in the medium and long-term development of a football club. And, for a club like Bayer 04, outstanding youth development is of key importance in this respect. The Werkself stand for attractive, dynamic and creative football. That aspiration should be evident in all the youth teams. I'd like to make my contribution to that as Head of Coaching," Bordinggaard said.
His predecessor Helmut Jungheim started working at Bayer 04 on 1 January 2016. The long-standing sporting director of the Middle Rhine Football Association was the successor to Jürgen Gelsdorf as the head of the Kurtekotten Performance Centre. With the appointment of Thomas Eichin as head of youth and women's football in the summer of 2020, Jungheim initially moved into the newly created position of head trainer at the coaching academy.
"We would like to thank Helmut Jungheim for his good work over the years. He has done important work in the development of our youth players," said Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes. "However, in relation to the newly created position, its demands and direction, we want to achieve new momentum. That's why we've agreed not to extend the contract with Mr Jungheim, that was due to run out in the summer."

Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Bayern 04 Women have confirmed another summer signing, with midfielder Paulina Platner moving to Leverkusen from SGS Essen. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Werkself.
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The German Football League (DFL) has shortlisted Martin Terrier’s scorpion kick goal against 1. FC Köln for the 2025/26 Bundesliga Goal of the Season. Bayer 04 fans can vote for their favourite goal via the Bundesliga app from now until Monday 25 May (23:59 CEST).
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Bayer 04 will be preparing young talents for a potential sporting career in an even more systematic way in future. The club is breaking new ground to help develop their academic, social and personal skills as well. With the ‘Haus der Talente' or 'Talent House’, Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH is creating a new centre for the development of young athletes in a central location in Leverkusen. Once completed – expected to be in the summer of 2027 – the project will be run in partnership with TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V.
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