Edmond Tapsoba’s 22nd birthday moves into the background on this Tuesday with the focus being on the DFB Cup Round of 16 tie against RW Essen. After the job has been done and hopefully the best birthday present has been received – progress to the next round – then the team can raise a glass. Happy Birthday, Edmond!
We also send congratulations to Radoslaw Kaluzny, who played for Leverkusen from 2003 to 2005, and after that he signed for Rot-Weiss Essen, tonight’s opponents for the Werkself. Who will the Polish-born midfielder cross his fingers for on his 47th birthday?
Referee Daniel Schlager (31, banker) from Hügelsheim in Baden-Württemberg is in charge of tonight’s cup tie between the Werkself and Rot-Weiss Essen. Marcel Unger and Robert Wessel are assistant referees, Arne Aarnink is the fourth official. The video referees, who are used from the Round of 16 this year, are Tobias Reichel and Benedikt Kempkes.
Deutsche Telekom AG have extended their pay-TV rights option to the third division and the Women’s Bundesliga for another year to the end of the 2022/23 season. The company secured the rights in 2017 to broadcast third division games and top matches in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga on MagentaSport. That means selected matches involving the Bayer 04 Women will continue to be shown on the pay-TV channel.
Bayer 04 fans are again spoilt for choice: The club Facebook channel again provides the opportunity to choose the best Black and Red goal of the month – this time for January. Up for the vote are the goal scored by Nadiem Amiri against Eintracht Frankfurt, the goals by Dóra Zeller and Kristin Kögel from the Women’s friendly against Werder Bremen and the unmissable strike from Moussa Diaby against Borussia Dortmund. Here are all four goals to watch again. You can vote in the comments section.
He is the living club legend at Rot-Weiss Essen: Willi ‘Ente’ Lippens played for RWE from 1965 to 1976 and from 1979 to 1981. He made 449 appearances and scored 237 goals for Essen. Of course, he is crossing his fingers for his club in the cup clash. “It’s an away game for Leverkusen,” Lippens said to sid: “I can only advise not to be afraid, press high and put the opposition under pressure. And then we’ll see what happens.”
Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Farid Alfa-Ruprecht is going out on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin. The pacy winger will be at the Berlin club for one year.
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Heading towards the competitive start of the 2026/27 season together: the Werkself kicked off preparations for the DFB Pokal clash at third-tier SV Wehen Wiesbaden with an open session in front of their fans on Tuesday morning. Before the first-round tie on Saturday 22 August at 13:00 CEST - for which the away section is already sold out - there'll be one more open session on Thursday from 11:00 CEST, when fans have another chance to watch head coach Carles Martínez's men at work.
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