Rudi Völler continues to feel a close bond with his home town in Hessen even after over 40 years in France, Italy and the Rhineland. Not least because of that reason, the 60-year-old was particularly affected a year ago by the terror attack in Hanau.
For the anniversary on 19 February, the local authority decided to restrict the size of the memorial event due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the Congress Park, Germany's Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Hessen's Minister-President Volker Bouffier will be joined by Rudi Völler, a freeman of the city of Hanau since 2002. Bayer 04 also pay tribute to the nine victims of the racist attack one year ago.
Bayer 04 we're on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline on Thursday night in the first leg of the Europa League knockout tie at BSC Young Boys. After a first half described by head coach Peter Bosz as "very bad" with a deficit of 3-0 at the break, there was a Black and Red comeback in the second half: The Werkself got back on equal terms at 3-3 in less than 20 minutes. Niklas Lomb and Co. did concede the fourth goal just before the final whistle but the statistics after 90 minutes are on the side of the visitors from Leverkusen:
For more than eleven years, the Robert Enke Foundation (RES) has worked on research into and the treatment of depression. The educational project of 'Robert Enke Foundation on tour' has seen RES visit Leverkusen a number of times. And the project is continuing even during the coronavirus pandemic on a digital basis.
Through the project, the Foundation provides an information platform for interested parties and those affected to find out more about the illness of depression and appropriate support. Bayer 04 fans have the opportunity to make contact with a member of the foundation via an online platform on Saturday 20 February from 11.00 to 15.00 CET. Further information is available HERE.
At the age of nine, Christoph Kramer joined the Bayer 04 youth section from BV Gräfrath. Born in Solingen, he was at Leverkusen for six years before moving on to Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2006. The defensive midfielder returned to Kurtekotten after two seasons to join the U19 squad and then the first team. Kramer 'only' made 28 appearances in the top-flight for Bayer 04 due to loan periods at VfL Bochum and Borussia Mönchengladbach. He almost joined the Foals in 2016 where he has played since.
The 2014 World Cup winner has been an established Bundesliga player for many years and has already made over 200 appearances. Kramer is 30 years old today (Friday). Bayer 04 wish many happy returns to our former youth player.
Bayer 04 and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer have shown great commitment to the community as the sale of custom-designed T-shirts for charity in the Fanwelt as part of the “BarmeniaGothaer Brings Joy campaign raised a good €5,000. Bayer 04 matched this sum with an equal contribution. As a result, a total of €10,000 was presented to Edmond Tapsoba for his foundation ahead of the home match against Hamburg. The foundation supports people facing challenging daily circumstances in his home country of Burkina Faso.
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Bayer 04 host Hamburg at the BayArena for the first time since September 2017 on the final day of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season on Saturday (15:30 CEST). HSV are safe in their first campaign back in the top flight after back-to-back wins, but Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 19 games against promoted teams as they go for the victory they need to have a chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. There’s also heavy discounts on food and drinks at the BayArena. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 34 fixture in our matchday news.
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As well as previously confirmed departures, Bayer 04 Women will also say goodbye to Vanessa Haim and Shen Menglu before Sunday’s final game of the season at home to Werder Bremen as the pair leave Leverkusen upon the expiration of their contracts.
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The last competitive match of the 2025/26 season takes place at the BayArena on Saturday 16 May (kick-off 15:30 CEST), where Hamburger SV are the visitors. At the pre-match press conference, head coach Kasper Hjulmand discussed the mindset and the approach for the crucial final game against HSV, among other topics.
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