On 18 May 1988, they all took part in the first title won by Bayer 04 on that legendary night at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium with the 'Miracle of Leverkusen' in the return leg of the final against Espanyol. Together with around 300 fans, the players from back then not only recalled the memorable fightback after being 3-0 down in the first leg and the dramatic penalty shootout in the return leg but also reviewed the whole UEFA Cup season. Austria Vienna, FC Toulouse, Feyenoord, FC Barcelona, Werder Bremen and finally Espanyol in the two-legged final– were the opponents in the competition. 13 of the UEFA Cup winners of 1988 came together to review that special season in a relaxed atmosphere. Marcus Feinbier, Florian Hinterberger, Christian Schreier, Falko Götz, Christian Hausmann, Andrzej Buncol, Wolfgang Rolff, Erich Seckler, Knut Reinhardt, Bernd Dreher and Rüdiger Vollborn took part along with assistant coach Gerd Kentschke and the then general manager Michael Meier.
Vollborn, one of the Bayer 04 fan liaison team and a proud cup winner, organised the meeting together with Dirk Dreher, the manager of the Veterans team. The event in the West stand at the BayArena was compered by stadium announcer Tobias Ufer who invited the heroes of yesteryear up to the stage for interview one at a time. "We watched video highlights of all the games with the fans and then spoke about them in detail with one or two anecdotes exchanged," said Rüdiger Vollborn. "It was a wonderful night." Many of the fans present took the opportunity to have themselves photographed with the UEFA Cup or to buy the white special kit commemorating the 1998 triumph, which the Werkself players wore in the last Bundesliga away game of the season at Werder Bremen.
In fact, 18 May is not the only time this year that former winners will meet up. "We've planned another big meeting in September or October where we'll celebrate with the 1988 UEFA Cup winners as well as the DFB Cup winners of 1993. Then, Tita and Bum-kun Cha, who weren't here this time, will be at the event," said Vollborn. An event with fans is also planned for 12 June to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the DFB Cup win. Bayer 04 will definitely not fail to celebrate these events this year.
Bayer 04 face Hamburger SV for the first time since February 2018 in their rearranged Bundesliga Matchday 17 clash. After long years in the second division, the Red Shorts have gradually reestablished themselves in the top flight this season, thanks in particular to their strong home record and third-best tackle success rate in the league. There'll be a fierce battle in the air too, as three of the highest-scoring centre-backs in the Bundesliga could be on the pitch at the Volksparkstadion - two of them for Leverkusen. The Matchday News.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL), has announced the six nominees for the February 2026 Bundesliga Player of the Month award. Not one, but two Werkself players are on the list in Edmond Tapsoba and Alejandro Grimaldo. Supporters of the Black-and-Reds have from now until midnight on Sunday 8 March to vote!
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After the original fixture on 13 January was postponed due to weather-related structural risks to the Volksparkstadion's roof, Hamburger SV now host Bayer 04 Leverkusen this evening, Wednesday 4 March (kick-off 20:30 CET), in the rearranged Matchday 17 meeting. It's a second home game in three days for HSV - an update on the opponents.
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The German Football League (DFL) has announced the three candidates for Bundesliga ‘Rookie of the Month’ for February. Among the candidates is Werkself player Jarell Quansah. Fans of Bayer 04 can vote for their favourite on the Bundesliga app from now until Thursday, 5 March (23:59 CET).
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