They developed into the surprise team at the Africa Cup of Nations: After going through the group stage, Burkina Faso with Leverkusen player Edmond Tapsoba first knocked Gabon out of the competition (2-1 in the Round of 16) and that was followed a few days later by a 1-0 victory against favoured Tunisia in the quarter-finals. On Wednesday evening, they faced Senegal in the semi-finals with Tapsoba and Co. having to accept defeat in the end. The Werkself player was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat.
Odilon Kossounou, who was also at the Africa Cup of Nations, went out in the Round of 16 when Ivory Coast lost 1-0 against Egypt. Senegal's opponents in the final will be decided tonight in a game between Egypt and Cameroon – winners of Burkina Faso's Group A. Tapsoba and Co. will play the losers of the semi-final in the third-place play off on Sunday 6 February at 17.00 CET. Tapsoba will then return to Leverkusen as Kossounou already has.
Sardar Azmoun, the winter signing from Zenit Saint Petersburg, arrived in Germany on Thursday afternoon. The 27-year-old was met by a small Bayer 04 delegation at Düsseldorf Airport and they accompanied him to Leverkusen.
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has shared his views of the Iran international in the Bild Zeitung. The 42-year-old played for Bayern Munich from 2009 to 2013 and he knows the Bundesliga as well as the new member of the Werkself squad: Tymoshchuk has been the assistant coach at Zenit since 2017 and he has coached Azmoun for the past three years. "He's a bit like Klose (World Cup record goalscorer and former player at Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, ed.). Miro was also quick, strong in the air and clever with his movement," said the Ukrainian in drawing a comparison.
In the interview, Tymoshchuk also spoke about Sardar Azmoun away from the pitch. The new Leverkusen player is very communicative and is also a "funny, but calm and respectful bloke. I was very close to him." The former Bayern player also revealed a special hobby pursued by the centre forward: Azmoun is mad about horses and he has a large number at home in Iran. They regularly take part in competitions and races.
The game turned round, a derby win – and the cup lifted. It was a successful Wednesday evening for the Bayer 04 Women's U17 team. The team coached by Aleksandar Vukicevic beat FC Köln in the final of the district cup. Playing at home at the Performance Centre, the Black and Red youngsters went behind on 15 minutes but hit back in the second half as they showed what they could do. Paula Dziallas scored on 62 minutes and Estrella Gonzalez netted the second ten minutes later to secure a 2-1 win. Congratulations!
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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