
Hans Benzler, who started his playing career with the youth section at SpVgg Beckum, then played for VfR Mannheim from 1958 to 1967 in the then top flight of the Oberliga South. In the summer of 1967, the then 31-year-old joined Bayer 04 where he became a fan favourite thanks to his outstanding performances in goal with the nickname of 'grandad'. His displays in goal helped Bayer 04 lift the Regional League West title in 1968. However, he was on the losing side in the promotion decider in a 2-1 defeat at Kickers Offenbach - the Werkself missed out on promotion to the Bundesliga. Hans Benzler retired in 1969.

BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
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100 children from the Bayer 04 Football Academy had the chance to gain exclusive insights: As part of the summer camp, the young footballers headed inside the BayArena at midday on Tuesday, 21 July, where they were due to meet Werkself keepers Janis Blaswich and Simeon Rapsch in the press conference room. The two players took plenty of time to answer every question from the inquisitive audience – whether it was about their own careers or their first impressions of the new head coach. Finally, there was even time left to sign autographs for the young fans.
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Alejo Sarco has left Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join Sporting Gijón in Spain’s second division. Bayer 04 have secured a buy-back clause for the 20-year-old Argentine striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
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