…his substitution due to injury in the home game against SC Freiburg (1-2): Fortunately, I haven't got any major pain. It's not serious. It will all be back to normal in a couple of days.
…the moment he first heard Bayer 04 were interested in him: I was shocked. (He laughs) I came from nowhere and didn't even have 18 months of professional football behind me. And now I'm here and I can play for a top club in the Bundesliga. It feels great!
…the reasons for his move to Leverkusen: The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world and is a great challenge for me. This move to Bayer 04 is exactly right for my development. The management at Leverkusen have lots of confidence in young players as we've seen so often in the past.
…his start at Bayer 04 and targets with the Werkself: It was very exciting for me to move to Germany. I've settled in now and I’m enjoying it here. Of course, the results on the pitch have been disappointing. But we are responsible for that ourselves and we're aware of it. We have to look forwards and work our way back game by game. The target in the Bundesliga is and remains qualification for the Champions League and that means finishing in the top four. That's what we’re aiming for.
…clashes with top strikers such as World Player of the Year Robert Lewandowski or Erling Haaland: I always want to play against the best players in the world and show what I can do. I work hard on my game every day and I’m benefiting from the high level in training.
…the importance of Neil Lennon who gave him his first chances as a professional footballer at Celtic following his move from the Manchester City EDS team in the autumn of 2019: I was surprised when I heard about his resignation a few days ago. He's a great personality and has always given everything for the club. I will always have a special memory of him because he gave me my first chance in professional football. He supported me and gave me advice. I'll always be grateful to him for that.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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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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Two months of preparation, five friendlies and the return of a familiar training camp location: After finishing fifth in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga last season, the Werkself will return to training on Tuesday, 23 June. Bayer04.de outlines the key dates in the 2026 summer timetable.
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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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