The Werkself completed their final pre-match training session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium in the morning before heading off to Freiburg. By then at the latest, it was all about full focus on the clash with SC Freiburg on Sunday 1 November.
As usual, you can follow the away game on Werks 11 Radio at bayer04.de plus on the Bayer 04 app. Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick will get you in the matchday mood for #SCFB04 from 15.00 CET – join us!
Results have been good against Freiburg: Over the past three seasons, the team led by head coach Peter Bosz have not lost to SCF (3 wins, 3 draws). The Werkself have only conceded one goal in those six games and have kept eleven clean sheets in 18 meetings since 2011. Lukas Hradecky and Co. would be happy to keep that going on Sunday…
Fritz Walter led Germany to a surprise World Cup win as captain in 1954. ‘The Miracle of Bern’ – he played a crucial role in this story. To date, the only citizen of honour of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate was twice champion of Germany with FC Kaiserslautern in a playing career at the club that lasted over 30 years. The third division club play at the Fritz Walter Stadium. It is clear: ‘The hero of Bern’, with a pronounced community streak, still enjoys a special status in German football almost two decades after his death.
Leverkusen’s sporting managing director Rudi Völler, who was the Germany coach in 2002 when Fritz Walter passed away, dedicated the World Cup quarter-final against the USA (1-0) to the playmaker with the game played four days after his death. Völler often met Walter after the end of his career in 1959 and he says about the football legend today: “An incredibly down-to-earth and modest man. An unwilling post-war hero who the country needed him to be. As the coach of the national team at the 2002 World Cup I discovered his significance for German football when we received the sad news of his death. The success story of football in Germany is inseparable from Fritz Walter and the heroes of Bern.”
The DFB has awarded the Fritz Walter medal since 2005 in cooperation with the Fritz Walter Foundation since 2009. This honour applies to the best youth talent in Germany and is awarded to U17, U18 and U19 players. In addition to Kai Havertz, Julian Brandt and most recently Florian Wirtz, eleven other Werkself players have received this special award during their time under the Bayer Cross.
31 October 1970 was a milestone in the history of women’s football in Germany. On this day 50 years ago, women’s football was officially adopted in the constitution of the German Football Association (DFB). Bayer 04 has been part of that history since 2008 and now has five women’s and female junior teams and the club looks back at the foundation of its own women’s section. “Women’s football is a great sport and has been an important part of our club for many years. The women players are role models for countless girls and women. In my eyes, it’s incredible how late this was recognised in Germany. But to be honest: We still have a lot to do to further establish women’s football,” said Thomas Eichin, head of youth and women’s football at Bayer 04. On that anniversary, Bayer 04 look back at the foundation of the club’s women’s section – more information is available HERE.
St. Pauli are the visitors to Leverkusen for today’s 3.30pm CET kick-off on Matchday 13 in the Bundesliga, with some 3,000 fans from Hamburg coming to a sold-out BayArena. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
Show moreBayer 04 take on St. Pauli in the Bundesliga for the first time in 13 years in front of a sold-out BayArena crowd on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CET). Ahead of the game, head coach Xabi Alonso spoke about Pauli’s “structure and dynamic”, as well as options in attack in the absence of Patrik Schick and the final run to the end of the year.
Show moreFor the first time in 13 years, Bayer 04 welcome St. Pauli to the BayArena this Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CET). The promoted side have shown so far that that are a tough nut to crack, while last week’s first home win of the season proves they have potential in attack. Here’s all you need to know about our next opponents.
Show moreBayer 04 Women produced an excellent performance to beat Wolfsburg 1-0 at home on Friday night and knock the She-Wolves off top spot in the Google Pixel Bundesliga as the season reached its halfway stage. Cornelia Kramer got the only goal early in the second half in front of a crowd of 1,510 at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion. The result makes it five straight wins in all competitions for Leverkusen, who go top overnight on 26 points – the best total in the club’s history from the first half of a Bundesliga season – ahead of the DFB Pokal holders with 25.
Show more