Born and raised in Bockholtz in the Netherlands on the border to Germany, Mark Flekken joined Alemannia Aachen from Roda JC Kerkrade at the age of 16. Starting in the youth section at the then second division club, his career progressed and he signed his first professional contract in September 2011. The tall shot-stopper became the first choice keeper for the senior side from the winter break in the third division in the 2012/13 season. At the end of that campaign he joined SpVgg Greuther Fürth where he made just three second division appearances in three years.
He then became the first choice keeper at third tier MSV Duisburg in 2016/17 – where he made a historical contribution: On 7 August 2016, Flekken scored the equaliser at 1-1 with a backheel in added time in the league match at VfL Osnabrück. It was the first goal from open play scored by a keeper in the history of MSV Duisburg. The season ended with MSV gaining promotion to Bundesliga 2 as champions.
After two seasons with more than 30 appearances each, Flekken signed for Bundesliga club SC Freiburg in 2018/19 and he made his Bundesliga debut on the last matchday of the season. After the departure of Alexander Schwolow in 2020/21, he became the SCF number one but then suffered an elbow injury that kept him out of action for almost the rest of the season.
The next two years were significantly better for the talented Dutchman and he came to the attention of the Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. Flekken made his debut for the Oranje in March 2022 and he has since made another seven appearances in Euro qualifiers, the UEFA Nations League and friendlies. He was also in the squad for Euro 2024.
Flekken then played for Freiburg in the DFB Pokal final in 2021/22 (in a 4-2 defeat on penalties to RB Leipzig) and in 2022/23 he played for SCF in the Europa League. With more than 30 league appearances each season and impressive appearances, Flekken attracted the attention of Premier League club Brentford after five years at Freiburg.
The new Leverkusen player only missed one league game for the London side in 2023/24 and 2024/25. The 31-year-old now joins Bayer 04 with the experience of 80 Bundesliga and 74 Premier League appearances.
Flekken has two World Cup qualifiers for the Netherlands against Finland and Malta before his summer break.
Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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