“This news makes me very proud. My time at Bayer 04 Leverkusen was very formative for me, it was the most successful period of my life as a player,” emphasised 50-year-old Nowotny. “Back then, we were able to establish the club at the top of German football and also on the European football map. I'm particularly pleased that the honour now coincides with the club's greatest success, winning the 2024 Bundesliga.”
CEO Fernando Carro explained the award for the former Karlsruhe man as “a sign of our gratitude and recognition of his achievements. Jens Nowotny has worn the captain's armband the longest of all Leverkusen captains, a total of eight years. He is an important part of our history and is held in high esteem by our fans. We want to express this by making him an honorary captain.”
Managing director for sport Simon Rolfes justified the appointment of the former Germany international to this elite circle with the special skills that once characterised Nowotny as a player in black and red: “Jens was a world-class defender, incredibly quick, technically adept and strong in tackles. He was also a great leader. In a team with top stars like Lucio, Zé Roberto and Berbatov, he took matters into his own hands and led the way. He has earned this award.”
Nowotny was assistant coach to the Germany U17 team that won the World Cup in Indonesia in December 2023. The 48-time international still demonstrates his close ties to the Werkself today with regular appearances for the Bayer 04 veterans team.
The Bayer 04 honorary captains are Rüdiger Vollborn, Bernd Schneider, Ulf Kirsten, Carsten Ramelow, Simon Rolfes, Stefan Kießling, Lars Bender and Jens Nowotny (from 2024).
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with U19 midfielder Jonah Berghoff ahead of schedule. The Germany U18 international has signed professional terms with the club to 30 June 2030.
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With sixth place at the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Bayer 04 ended a season in the top third of the table for the ninth time in a row. While the Werkself were narrowly eliminated in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 by eventual finalists Arsenal, the Black and Reds reached the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third season in succession. As in previous years, you once again have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is exclusively for Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app up to and including 11 June.
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With 46 points in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga, the Bayer 04 Women’s team once again broke the previous season's club record and ended up in fifth place - 15 wins is also a record. As in previous years, you now have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is open exclusively to Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app by 11 June.
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The guests at the Scala Club in Leverkusen were amazed when host Reiner Calmund suddenly brought the Managing Director of Sport at Bayer 04, Simon Rolfes, and record Werkself appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn onto the stage. As part of the show "An Evening with Football & Friends", organised by long-serving Bayer 04 managing director and general manager Calmund, the two surprise guests drew plenty of applause - and provided great entertainment in exciting conversations about the past and future.
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