As usual, head coach Peter Bosz held several training sessions at Bismarckstraße this week but this time dispensed with an FKT (Football fitness training) session. In the shadows of the BayArena, the Dutchman and his fellow coaches worked hard preparing the team for the forthcoming Rhineland clash with the Foals: The Werkself are away to ninth-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, 6 March. The kick off at BORUSSIA PARK is at 15.30 CET and Werks11 Radio will again start broadcasting 30 minutes before kick-off as usual.
Bayer04.de brings you impressions of the training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday – where the goalkeeper trio of Lennart Grill, Niklas Lomb and Marcel Johnen were working flat out in the absence through injury of first choice keeper Lukas Hradecky:
Before that, the Bayer 04 Women are in action: They open matchday 14 against FFC Turbine Potsdam on Friday night, 5 March (kick-off: 19.15 CET/live on Eurosport and MagentaSport). The preview not only contains information on the line-up as well as statements from head coach Achim Feifel but also a link to the Rasenreport magazine. This free online matchday programme provides further details on the clash with the team from Potsdam. Click HERE for the preview.
As VfL Wolfsburg announced on Thursday via Twitter, the long-standing VfL scout Rudi Wojtowicz is in an induced coma. The 64-year-old, who played for the Werkself from 1982 to 1986, collapsed on his way to watching an opposing team. "Our thoughts are with you – fight, Rudi!," was the message from Wolfsburg. We fully concur with that!
A long-standing number one goalkeeper at the Werkself celebrates his 29th birthday: Bayer 04 congratulate Bernd Leno on his birthday and wish him continuing success in the Premier League with Arsenal.
Leno came through the youth ranks at VfB Stuttgart but the 1.90 metre tall keeper made the step up to professional football under the Buyer Cross. Having arrived on loan in the summer of 2011, Bayer 04 made the deal permanent six months later. In the following six and a half years at the Werkself, Leno clocked up an impressive 304 appearances – after Rüdiger Vollborn the second highest number of games of all the goalkeepers in the history of Bayer 04. He joined Arsenal in 2018 and is still between the sticks for the London club.
Landon Donovan was at Leverkusen somewhat longer before Bernd Leno. The striker joined the Werkself from USA club IMG Bradenton Academics in 1999. Initially he played for the Leverkusen second team and then for the senior side for a number of years. Donovan only played seven games for Bayer 04 in the Bundesliga with his most successful time coming later with LA Galaxy. To date, he is one of six USA players to run out for the Werkself. Donovan is 39 years old this Thursday and Bayer 04 send congratulations across the big pond.
Like Donovan at the American second division club San Diego Loyal, another birthday boy is now a head coach: Cottbus head coach Dirk Lottner celebrates his birthday on Thursday and is now 49 years old. Born in Cologne, he played for the Werkself from 1997 to 1999. After hanging up his boots in 2007 and going on to coach at FC Köln, Hansa Rostock and FC Saarbrücken, Lottner has been at the helm of fourth division Energie Cottbus since September of last year. And many happy returns to you too, Dirk – stay fit and healthy.
As part of the joint commitment of Bayer 04 and the City of Leverkusen to volunteering, the annual Volunteer Day took place in the 19nullvier Lounge at the BayArena. Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, Stefan Hebbel, Mayor of the City of Leverkusen, and club representative Stefan Kießling praised the commitment of the 200 or so volunteers from the region in attendance and thanked them for their impressive efforts.
Show more
The clubs in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga will set up the Frauen-Bundesliga FBL e.V. On 10 December. The clubs have joined together to open a new chapter in the history of German women's football.
Show more
In his 13 years as a professional player at Bayer 04, the honorary captain and record goalscorer made 446 appearances scoring 238 goals along the way. Many of them remain unforgotten, including his header to win the DFB Pokal in 1993. Ulf Kirsten celebrates his 60th birthday today Thursday - and Bayer 04 are happy to take this opportunity to look back on some of the former number nine’s special goals and games. But first of all: Happy Birthday, dear Ulf!
Show more
The United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is celebrated worldwide on 3 December. Together with Bayer AG, Bayer 04 is once again setting an example for diversity and inclusion by lighting up the BayArena in purple in the evening.
Show more
