News in brief: Rolfes joins #ZeroHungerRun

The Welthungerhilfe aid organisation has appealed for participation in this year's #ZeroHungerRun – and Team Bayer are joining in again. The charity run, taking place virtually from 5 to 9 May, supports participating aid projects across the globe and makes a statement against hunger. Bayer AG are supporting the commitment of the club with a donation.

This years Team Bayer includes Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes and honorary captain Carsten Ramelow. Rolfes declared: "Children want to play football, run, tussle and have fun. That's the same in Leverkusen as it is in Ethiopian, Syria or India. But having a carefree childhood without suffering hunger remains wishful thinking for many. We can all help to alleviate suffering by taking part in #ZeroHungerRun. To give these children a chance, I would like to repeat my challenge of last year to be there, run and make a donation."

#ZeroHungerRun was staged last year for the first time with 3,500 participants raising a total of almost €70,000.

Leon Bailey – YOUR winner

You have decided: Your Goal of the Month for April, presented by like2drive is the volley by Leon Bailey in the home game against Eintracht Frankfurt. Our number 9 scored the first goal of the game from a long ball from Moussa Diaby to set the Werkself on course for a 3-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt. With an impressive nine goals and eight assists he is the best finisher and provider for the Werkself in the current campaign. HERE is a video of the goals. Congratulations, Leon.

MaY FINISH against Dortmund And FC BAYERN

The run-in has started. In the month of May questions will be answered on the identity of the champions, European competition participants plus promoted and relegated clubs. The Werkself have three games to play in the Bundesliga. The team led by head coach Hannes Wolf are currently in sixth place. There is a four-point cushion to rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach and Union Berlin and the Black and Reds are five and six points respectively behind Borussia Dortmund (fifth) and Eintracht Frankfurt (fourth). The last three opponents in the 2020/21 season are Werder Bremen, Union Berlin plus Borussia Dortmund on the final matchday.

And the Bayer 04 Women also have three games left in the FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga. SV Meppen visit Leverkusen on Sunday, 9 May (kick-off: 14.00 CEST). The clash with the team in tenth place will be broadcast live on the Bayer 04 YouTube channel. The team led by coach Achim Feifel play league leaders FC Bayern at the end of the month of May. The final opponents for the team in fifth place are SC Sand. That fixture is on 6 June.

UEFA decides to increase euro squads

Joachim Löw can call on a bigger pool of players for his last tournament as the Germany coach. The executive committee of UEFA decided this week to increase the size of squads for this summer's European Championships from 23 to 26 players due to the coronavirus pandemic. That is intended to reduce the risk that teams will be unable to fulfil fixtures due to quarantine measures.

The change applies to the whole tournament. In individual games, only 23 players will be on the team sheet as before. They can be changed from match to match. Löw and Co. have to nominate their squad by 1 June. The Euros run from 11 June to 11 July.

During the last international break, the three Werkself players Jonathan Tah, Nadiem Amiri and Florian Wirtz were in the Germany squad. Other Leverkusen players such as Lukas Hradecky (Finland), Patrik Schick (Czechia) plus Julian Baumgartlinger and Aleksandar Dragovic (Austria) have hopes of being called up for the Euros.