The date is 7 Match 1981. The Bayer 04 team have not for twelve games and are slipping ever closer to the drop zone. Level on points with 1860 Munich, the threat of relegation is looming at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. And now second-placed Bayern Munich are the visitors. Everyone who was there will remember the goals, the first hat-trick for one Bayer 04 player and that was Arne Larsen Ökland. But also our phantom goal in the same match. Watch the video for three minutes of match highlights in the 3-0 home win plus excerpts from a great interview with the star of the match. By the way: An 18-year-old goalkeeper from Berlin came to Leverkusen two days later for a trial training session. His name: Rüdiger Vollborn.
And Bayern Munich once again, 16 years later. Bayer 04 are in the running for the league title in the first year under Christoph Daum. Bayern visit the BayArena as league leaders with a five-point lead so the Werkself are under pressure to perform. The usual front two, Ulf Kirsten and Erik Meijer, are on the bench due to slight knocks. Markus Feldhoff is the only Leverkusen striker and he becomes the matchwinner with three goals. The atmosphere at the stadium is fantastic. And it was before kick-off too when our home end presented the best fan choreography in a German stadium. The video shows highlights of the 5-2 win against Bayern.
Wolfgang Vöge was born on 15 September 1955 in Ahlen, Westphalia and he was the fourth of seven children of a miner. His father, Erich Vöge, was a football referee as well. At an early age, Wolle, as he was called by his friends and teammates, developed a great passion for football and was an enthusiastic fan of BVB. His first success in football was achieved in the amateur game at his hometown club of SV Ahlen. He scored 26 goals in the first season and he came to the attention of scouts. That led to his move to Borussia Dortmund in 1975.
Show moreAndreas Thom was born on 7 September 1965 in Rüdersdorf near Berlin in Brandenburg. Andreas displayed an exceptional talent on the ball even as a child. Early on, he joined the youth section at BFC Dynamo Berlin, one of the leading football clubs in the German Democratic Republic. There he received targeted, performance-oriented training as part of the GDR sports system. His talent, his vision and his technique led him to make his debut in the first team at BFC Dynamo at the age of 17.
Show moreJens Melzig was born in Cottbus on 28 September 1965. Melle, as he was called at Leverkusen, started his playing career at his hometown club Energie Cottbus. As a young player there he soon stood out thanks to his strength in challenges and his ability to read the game. He was in the Energie Cottbus first team in 1984 and he played for the club in the GDR league and the Oberliga. With 144 appearances and twelve goals he became one of the big players in defence. He made a major contribution to the club during this period – as a strong-tackling central defender who also displayed leadership qualities.
Show moreLucio, full name Lucimar Ferreira da Silva, was born on 8 May 1978 in Planaltina, a suburb of the Brazilian capital Brasília. He showed his passion for football even as a child. On the dusty streets of his neighbourhood he spent hours chasing the ball – often in bare feet like many Brazilian children. Despite the simple conditions he grew up in, his family always supported his dream of one day becoming a great football player. He made his first steps in club football at small local clubs before moving onto the youth set-up at the club Guará and later he singed for the big club Internacional Porto Alegre. Bayer 04 signed the internationally completely unknown defender from there in January 2000.
Show moreIn this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of September. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.
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