Exequiel Palacios celebrated an extremely successful comeback to the first team at the Easter weekend: The Argentinian was back in the Werkself line-up for a Bundesliga game for the first time since 1 November of last year. After three appearances from matchday four to matchday six, the 22-year-old suffered a lumbar vertebra fracture in an international fixture. He was back on the subs bench for the last eight games but did not come on.
Hannes Wolf opted to play 'Pala' in his first game in charge of the Black and Reds – and his inclusion was justified with a hard-working and ball-winning performance. In the 2-1 home win against Schalke 04, the Argentinian lined up alongside skipper Charles Aránguiz in holding midfield and he played the full 90 minutes. The Rheinische Post reported that Palacios showed "aggression in challenges and great commitment."
Werkself fans also expressed their enthusiasm for the performance of the midfielder as they voted him Man of the Match on the club's Twitter account. Congratulations, ‘Pala’.
In the fan vote for the Leverkusen Goal of the Month for March, presented by like2drive, one of the youngest players in the Bayer 04 Women's team came out on top. 17-year-old Chiara Bücher scored with a long-range effort to make it 2-0 in the away game at MSV Duisburg. Congratulations, Chiara! You can watch a video of the goal HERE.
Benjamin Adam, coach of the Bayer 04 U13s, gave an impromptu lecture at the request of the Federation of German Football Coaches (BDFL) at their second online congress. As part of this two-day digital event, Adam spoke about the following subject on Saturday, 10 April: "The will to win: The secret of the matchwinner – performance development between competition and training."
Other speakers included Bernhard Peters (formerly at Hamburg SV and TSG Hoffenheim) and the Germany U20 coach Guido Streichsbier.
Secure a Werkself match worn shirt. As part of the #Morethanfootball Action Weeks, all the Bayer 04 shirts from the home game against Schalke 04 (2-1) will be auctioned. The proceeds will go to the Wildpark Reuschenberg via the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Sportförderung gGmbH. The shirts worn by Sven Bender, Leon Bailey and Co. are up for auction up to 17 April. HERE is the link to the auction platform.
This clash was a milestone on the way to the UEFA Cup win for the Werkself in 1987/88: Exactly 33 years ago, Bayer 04 played Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen in the first leg of the semi-final tie. The only goal of the game was scored by a player who was not renowned for his goalscoring ability in his professional career. A detailed review and associated TV report on the game can be found HERE.
Happy 47th birthday, Robert Kovac. The Berliner played for Bayer 04 from 1996 to 2001 making 162 appearances for the Werkself. After his time at Leverkusen, the 84-time Croatia international moved on to Bayern Munich, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Dinamo Zagreb. Kovac ended his playing career in 2010 and then became a coach.
The former central defender has also made a name for himself in this role: He joined his brother Niko as an assistant coach; they worked for the Croatia national team, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and, since the summer of last year, AS Monaco. The Kovac brothers are coaching the former Werkself player Kevin Volland. Monaco are currently third in Ligue 1 and are in the thick of the title race.
His one-year stay at Bayer 04 was his first club outside South America: In 2011/12, the Werkself signed Colombian Michael Ortega on loan from Atlas Guadalajara. The attacking midfielder made seven Bundesliga appearances in that time. In the following season, Ortega – also on loan – played for VfL Bochum before returning to South America. The former Leverkusen player is 30 today (Tuesday). Bayer 04 wish him a happy birthday.
Following last weekend’s big game against Wolfsburg, Bayer 04 Women face another exciting challenge as they visit Hoffenheim to kick off Matchday 3 in the Google Pixel Bundesliga on Friday (kick-off: 18:30 CEST).
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Under the slogan ‘Holidays without War’, 60 children from war-torn Ukraine took part in the summer camp organised by the German-Ukrainian association Blau-Gelbes Kreuz in Leverkusen and the surrounding area in August. The children aged between 10 and 14 – many of whom have lost their parents in the war – come from the Ukrainian twin towns of Leverkusen, Cologne and Monheim am Rhein: Nikopol, Dnipro and Volodymyr. Bayer 04, Bayer AG and TSV Bayer 04 supported the camp to mark its 10th anniversary, enabling even more children and young people than in previous years to spend a few carefree days’ holiday away from the war in the Rhineland.
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Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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