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4.03.2021Bayer 04

Bordinggaard new Head of Coaching – Jungheim leaves Bayer 04

Bayer 04 Leverkusen are continuing to drive forward youth development. The Dane Keld Bordinggaard has been appointed Head of Coaching at the Werkself coaching academy attached to the Performance Centre with immediate effect. He will report directly to the head of the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, Thomas Eichin. The contract of the current head of the academy Helmut Jungheim runs out in the summer of 2021 but the 63-year-old is now excused from his duties.
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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.

Jungheim joined Bayer 04 in 2016

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."

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