Back
31.10.2020Bayer 04

News in brief: Völler on Fritz Walter – Werkself in Freiburg

Away again – the Werkself left for the Breisgau on Saturday afternoon. Plus: Sporting managing director Rudi Völler talks about football legend Fritz Walter, who would have been 100 years old on Saturday. All that is in today’s news in brief.
20201027_JS_Training_0083.jpg

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!

Statistics favour the Werkself

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…

Football legend centenary anniversary

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.”

crop_195808xx_Paul_Harig_Fritz_Walter_Arthur_Zwiste_Peter_Rooeger.jpg
Fritz Walter (second left) on 9 August 1958 at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. It was the second game at the UHS against FC Kaiserslautern, a week after the inaugural match against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Fritz Walter was injured but attended the match nevertheless.

14 Leverkusen players with Fritz Walter medal

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.

50 years of women’s football

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.

Related News

BayArena
Bundesliga - 26.04.2025

Matchday news #B04FCA: ‘Finally Red’ campaign for penultimate home game

Bayer 04 host Augsburg at the BayArena this Saturday for Matchday 31 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game against the 10th-placed Bavarians, including the ‘Finally Red’ fan campaign.

Show more
Die PK vor dem Heimspiel gegen den FC Augsburg | 31. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 26.04.2025

Alonso ahead of #B04FCA: “The fans deserve a good performance”

The first of the Werkself’s remaining 04 fixtures of this season comes on Saturday at home to Augsburg (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST). Ahead of the Matchday 31 encounter, head coach Xabi Alonso reflected on previous weeks, spoke about goals for the remainder of the campaign and also Jonathan Tah.

Show more
FC Augsburg
Bundesliga - 26.04.2025

Our next opponents: Happy travellers Augsburg enjoying best campaign

Augsburg have enjoyed an excellent run of form this year and come to the BayArena on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST) full of confidence as they take on the Werkself. Jess Thorup’s team boast one of the meanest defences in the Bundesliga and harbour real hope of securing European qualification this season. Here’s all you need to know about our next opponents.

Show more
Torjubel der Bayer 04-Frauen
Women - 25.04.2025

Bayer 04 Women maintain Champions League hopes with 3-1 win in Potsdam

Bayer 04 Women won 3-1 away at Turbine Potsdam on Friday night to maintain their chances of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Delice Boboy, Cornelia Kramer and Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir struck for the Werkself at the Google Pixel Bundesliga’s bottom club, whose relegation was confirmed with the result. Leverkusen’s 12th win of the campaign took them up to 40 points.

Show more
Nordi Mukiele und Alejo Sarco
Bayer 04 - 24.04.2025

Bayer 04 players Mukiele and Sarco sidelined

Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without defender Nordi Mukiele and the Argentinian striker Alejo Sarco for the time being. Both players suffered muscle injuries in yesterday's Werkself training session.

Show more