Rudi Völler, sporting managing director at Bayer 04, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of German football along with nine other "first-rate personalities from the colourful and successful history of German football". The German Football Museum in Dortmund this week presented the Hall of Fame awards with a year's delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. Commenting on his induction, the 90-cap international Völler said: "In a country that produces so many outstanding footballers I see it as a great story to be a member of the Hall of Fame."
Michael Ballack, who played for Bayer 04 for five years, is also one of the award winners. The former world class midfielder: "2002 was perhaps my best year as a player even if it 'only' led to four second places with Bayer Leverkusen in the league, cup and the Champions league plus being runners-up with the national team in the World Cup."
Also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020 were Berti Vogts, Andreas Möller and Klaus Fischer. Oliver Kahn, Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Wolfgang Overath, Jürgen Klinsmann and Helmut Schön were in the Hall of Fame for 2019.
Back to the sporting here and now. The eyes of football across Europe will be focused on Porto on Saturday night, 29 May. At 21.00 CEST, the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City will kick off in the Portuguese city. With the London team: Bayer 04 home-grown player Kai Havertz. Ahead of the biggest match in Havertz' career, sporting managing director Rudi Völler found words of praise for the former Leverkusen player: "God has given him everything he needs: He is fast, has great technique, is dangerous in front of goal and strong in the air. He will definitely be in the national team in the future."
The Mariadorf-born Havertz, who we dedicated a TV documentary to in 2020, joined the Leverkusen academy at Kurtekotten in 2010 as an 11-year-old before progressing through all the youth teams and then breaking into the Werkself first team squad where he developed from an exceptional talent into a player with world class potential. On Saturday he has the opportunity to lift the Champions League trophy at the age of 21. We wish you much success, Kai. And remember: You know how to win at the Estadio do Dragão. In 2020, you almost beat FC Porto single-handedly with two assists and a goal in the 3-1 win.
There is another important final a day later in Cologne: On Sunday, 30 May, VfL Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt meet in the Women’s DFB Cup final with the kick off at 15.30 CEST. Three former and one future Bayer 04 players will be taking part.
Both Kathrin Hendrich (Wolfsburg) as well as Theresa Panfil and Barbara Dunst (both Frankfurt) have played for Leverkusen in the past. And VfL keeper Friederike Abt, who joins Leverkusen this summer, will take part in the cup final. In the competition to date, the 26-year-old has been in goal for the Wolves in the Round of 16 and the quarter-finals.
Turid Knaak has held the DFB Cup aloft twice: With FCR 2001 Duisburg in 2009 and 2010. A year after the second triumph, the attacker signed for Leverkusen where she remained for six years with the exception of a two-month loan to Arsenal. She made an impressive 102 appearances and scored 20 goals for the Black and Reds. Today Knaak plays for Atletico Madrid and is a member of the Germany squad. She has recently achieved something special away from football: After completing a course at the University in Cologne she is now the first Germany Women's player to have a doctors title. Hats off, Turid.
Hans Jörg Butt was 47 years old on Friday. He moved to Leverkusen from Hamburg SV in 2001 and the Oldenburg-born keeper went on to make 263 appearances for the Werkself in six years, keeping 61 clean sheets – and perhaps more remarkable – he scored eight goals as the Bayer 04 keeper. He was feared for his penalties as well as his reflexes on the line. The former Werkself shot-stopper retired nine years ago. We’d like to say thank you for your many saves and goals for Leverkusen and wish you a very happy birthday, Hans Jörg.
He will not only be missed at all the away games for Bayer 04 across Europe but will also leave a hole across sport in Germany: Manfred 'Manni' Ommer passed away a week ago at the age of 70. Born in Bergisch Gladbach, he was an athlete and he won a European Championship silver medal in 1974.
Ommer became a football official after his own career and in the 1980s he caused a surprise as president of FC Homburg from the Saarland when he took them into the Bundesliga. Up to his passing, he was the hotelier of the Werkself team hotel and he was always a VIP fan accompanying Bayer 04 on away games in the Champions League and the Europa League up to the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for your commitment and your loyalty, 'Manni'.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured a new premium partner in the form of DRIVIO. DRIVIO, already part of the club’s partner portfolio as a reliable car subscription partner for Bayer 04, will continue to support the club in this capacity and, with immediate effect, also join the premium group of companies that cooperate closely with the Werkself. The premium and car subscription partnership between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and DRIVIO will initially run until 30 June 2027.
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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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New to Leverkusen and straight up onto the roof at the BayArena: Guéla Doué has arrived. In an interview with Werkself TV, the new right-back talks about his previous links with Bayer 04 and how much he’s looking forward to his first home match. Have a look!
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