Back
1.10.2023Bayer 04

Match of the month: 25 years ago – comeback in Frankfurt

Bayer 04 Leverkusen travel to newly promoted Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday eight in the 1998/99 season. The Werkself are third in the table with 12 points albeit with a four and seven point gap to the two Munich clubs Bayern and 1860 in first and second place. The start of the season is not seen as successful in spite of the high position. So three points are almost a must at Frankfurt.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

The Werkself have a miserable first half. Without taking on the opponents, with lots of mistakes both in defence and in attack. Poor passing, bad to non-existent challenges. The Frankfurt team are deservedly 2-0 up at half-time with goals from the Chinese player Chen Yang and Alexander Schur. The Bayer 04 team go into the dressing room depressed and disappointed and they sit on the benches in silence.

The dressing room door is suddenly ripped open and an enraged Reiner ‘Calli’ Calmund comes in, he kicks a metal case across the room and issues a number of choice words. He shouts at the team for a minute, turns round and slams the door as he leaves. Coach Christoph Daum quietly looks into the eyes of his players and says: "That was the emotional reaction to our first half. Now we'll look at the rational side."

He puts Jens Nowotny in a back three with Robert Kovac and Markus Happe. He demands man-to-man marking in the first 15 minutes of the second half to finally be able to make challenges and he calls for a more aggressive approach. Ulf Kirsten pulls a goal back on 54 minutes. Bayer 04 don't give Eintracht Frankfurt an inch. Attack after attack rolls towards the Eintracht goal. Christoph Daum brings on Niko Kovac in place of his brother Robert on 73 minutes to turn the back three into a back two and thereby have an extra player in midfield.

The German Croat scores the equaliser two minutes later but that is not enough for Bayer 04. Thomas Reichenberger comes on in place of Paulo Rink on 79 minutes and he scores with a tap-in on 85 minutes with the winning goal to make it 3-2 to Bayer 04. In response to the question of what he said to the team in the dressing room, Reiner Calmund answers: "I politely asked them to run a bit more."

Related News

Hans Sarpei wird 50 | Geburtstagskind des Monats Juni
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

Birthday boy of the month: Hans Sarpei turns 50

Hans Sarpei was born on 28 June 1976 in Tema, Ghana, and came to Germany with his parents at the age of three, where he grew up in Cologne. Even before he was born, his mother and father worked in Hamburg in the import-export sector. There they met an older man who introduced them to German culture and supported them. Out of gratitude, Hans was later given his first name, although this man died before he was born. Hans comes from a sporting family; his older brother Edward and his nephews Hans Nunoo Sarpei and Kingsley Sarpei were or are also professional footballers.

Show more
Sepp Kretschmann und Hans Bochniak
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

From the archives: 70 years ago - A coach quits

On 3 June 1953, Hans-Josef (‘Sepp’) Kretschmann became the fifth coach in the history of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Born in Allenstein, East Prussia, on 21 March 1902, the football coach first studied to become a teacher before later switching to football. He took over the Werkself from Franz Strehle, under whom the team twice managed to stay in the 1st Oberliga West. However, Strehle did not extend his contract in Leverkusen after these two very successful years.

Show more
Heimspiel gegen Borussia Dortmund am 5. Juni 1976
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

Match of the month: 50 years ago - All or nothing

After promotion to Bundesliga North 2 in the summer of 1975, Bayer 04 are fighting relegation just eight months later. The club expects full commitment from everyone in this precarious situation. Promotion coach Manfred Rummel is to give up his main job as a teacher at the Mülheim special school and become a full-time coach at Bayer 04. The coach, who is very popular with the team, does not see himself in a position to fulfil the club's request. Despite a 2-0 home win against SpVgg Erkenschwick, Manfred Rummel is put on gardening leave by "mutual agreement".

Show more
Süddeutschlandreise im Juni 1951
Bayer 04 - 01.06.2026

History: 75 years ago - The 1950/51 season (June)

Bayer 04, already been promoted to the 1st Oberliga West, played friendly after friendly in the second half of May 1951. And that continued throughout the following month.

Show more
Jacek Krzynowek wird 50 | Geburtstagskind des Monats Mai
Bayer 04 - 01.05.2026

Birthday boy of the month: Jacek Krzynowek turns 50

Jacek Krzynowek was born on 15 May 1976 in Kamiensk, Poland, and grew up as a typical country boy. He spent his childhood less in structured training sessions and more on simple pitches, where he spent hours playing football with older boys. He realised early on that he had exceptional shooting power and enormous stamina. But for a long time, he didn't appreciate just how much talent he had. While others dream of a great career, professional football initially seems like a distant world to him that he only knows from television.

Show more