Michael Schade turns 70

Michael Schade took over from Wolfgang Holzhäuser as the CEO of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH GmbH on 1 July 2013. He was previously a member of the shareholders committee for six years from 2007. During his time as CEO, the Werkself were in the Champions League four times, reaching the Round of 16 three times, and qualified once for the Europa League.

The record on the pitch was not the only achievement. Bayer 04 developed strategically and financially during that time. A particular focus for Michael Schade was the internationalisation of the club, which he drove forward great intensity. That included successful trips to South Korea and the USA where Bayer 04 staged a number of training camps in Orlando. Partnerships with American TV stations and exchanges with American sports journalists contributed to increasing the brand recognition of Bayer 04. In an interview with the Werkself Magazine, Michael Schade once emphasised the value of the infrastructure and the image of Bayer AG as the parent company.

The qualified journalist joined the group as head of publications in 1980. He later took over as head of the corporate policy department. From 2008, Schade was finally responsible for the global communication of Bayer AG as the head of the group's communications. It is no surprise that digitalisation and extension of the social media at Bayer 04 took off under the PR professional. However, Michael Schade not only saw himself as an official, as a manager, but also as a committed fan of the club. He witnessed the UEFA Cup triumph of 1988 from the stands at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, then undergoing reconstruction, ("in the middle of a building site on a temporary structure made of steel pipes and wooden boards"), and the Bayer 04 CEO always cheered on the Werkself from the stands with his black and red scarf – often from the touchline in the final minutes of games. And he is still to be seen at nearly every home game and some away trips. The extension and modernisation of the BayArena was important to Schade. He organised the conversion of the exclusive wine lounge ‘Viini’ into the Schwadbud that brought alive the long tradition of the club and quickly developed into a popular meeting point for fans. The comprehensive infrastructure measures also included the redesign of the North Stand as well as the complete upgrade of kiosks and toilets. Developments in the South Stand saw the introduction of new executive boxes, service quality and comfort were optimised throughout the stadium.

Michael Schade once admitted that the five years as CEO were very special to him. And: "The hours before a game switching between fear and hope, the emotional roller coaster on a three day rhythm, the powerlessness of sitting in the stand during a game and being exposed to fate on the pitch – those are exciting and challenging moments that I wouldn't liked to have missed a minute of. At the same time, there is also an extreme strain on the nerves that I've never experienced in a normal job."

Michael Schade handed over to Fernando Carro in the summer of 2018 and since then he has been more relaxed watching the Werkself. He is clearly still a passionate fan. And he will remain so. At the end of the day, it is a great pleasure for him to be a football ground, "and then really getting behind the team."

Michael Schade will celebrate his birthday with his family. At the start of next year there will be a somewhat larger celebration "with 70 guests from 70 years."