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The situation in the table is as follows: The Werkself are eighth with 17 points just two behind third-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach. Köln are thirteenth on 13 points five points above the relegation spots. But as so often in this fixture, the position in the table is not important but instead the attitude on the pitch – and that proves to be right from the first minute. Both teams give their all, Bayer 04 take the lead on 19 minutes through Rudi Völler who was outstanding on the day.
Without the injured Bernd Schuster, Hans-Peter Lehnhoff and Ulf Kirsten, the Werkself only hold onto the lead for two minutes when a low shot from Bruno Labbadia from 18 metres out appears to be going wide but surprises me by ending up in the net. From that point I gave everything to keep out several shots on goal from the Köln team and in the first half I am bundled into the net by the Köln centre-forward Toni Polster at a cross. I carry on playing with a painful jaw. Heiko Scholz puts us back in front with a goal on 33 minutes. That is the scoreline at half-time. I'm given some ice for my jaw and we carry on in the second half. Köln try everything but go a player down on 65 minutes with a second yellow card for defender Karsten Baumann. From now on it is somewhat easier for the Werkself to control the game. With 88 minutes gone, substitute Markus Münch settles the Bayer 04 fans and his teammates with a great shot from the edge of the box for the final scoreline of 3-1.
We do a lap of honour after the game, shower and then go into the VIP room in our area is always after a home game. When I sit down at the table where my wife sitting she just says: Your face is crooked." I say: "Well, the jaws a bit painful but I know it will be better tomorrow." I pick up a prawn, bite into it with gusto and scream. My wife: "I think we'll go to hospital." Said and done. The x-rays show a broken jaw, my mouth is wired up and that means: only liquid food for the next three weeks and no sport at all. The next three days I only eat soup and lose three kilos in weight. From that point, my wife makes me mash potatoes alternatively mixed with carrots and broccoli. The first solid meal for me comes on Christmas Eve as you have to have turkey at Christmas.
Dirk Heinen is in the Bayer 04 goal for the remaining two games of the year, in the UEFA Cup against GKS Katowice (4-0) and in the Bundesliga in Dresden (1-1) and he does a very good job.
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
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José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
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In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
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