The Werkself achieved the target for the season in the Bundesliga last weekend with qualification for the Champions League. Nevertheless, the head coach of the Black and Reds is determined to get a positive result in the final match in the current campaign. "We are approaching it as normal and want to give the supporters a good performance in front of a full house," explained Gerardo Seoane looking forward to the home game against SC Freiburg on Saturday 14 May (kick-off: 15.30 CEST).
While Kerem Demirbay remains a doubt and Karim Bellarabi is ruled out from returning to the squad in spite of being back on the training ground, there could be changes in the starting eleven. Seoane said: "Depending on possible injuries and performances in training."
The former Bayer 04 youngster Dominik Kohr has signed a permanent deal with Mainz 05 following an 18-month loan deal. The club from the Rhineland Palatinate announced on Thursday that the 28-year-old player from Eintracht Frankfurt has signed a four-year contract to 2026. The defensive midfielder joined Eintracht in July 2019 after eleven years under the Bayer Cross – with the exception of a period on loan at FC Augsburg.
Former Leverkusen player Hakan Calhanoglu has won the Italian cup competition with Inter Milan. In the derby d’Italia against Juventus the former Bundesliga player Ivan Perisic played a big part in the 4-2 win with Calhanoglu (2014 to 2017 at Bayer 04) levelling at 2-2 from the penalty spot. Inter are still in with a chance of the double as they are just two points behind city rivals AC Milan in the league.
Thomas ‘Tom’ Dooley celebrates his 61st birthday today (Thursday) – many happy returns from Bayer 04. The former defender played for the Werkself in the 1994/95 season. He made 82 international appearances for the USA during his playing career. The Werkself Magazine has produced an exciting profile of Dooley. Stay fit and healthy, Tom.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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