The Werkself players Lucas Alario, Exequiel Palacios, with one goal each, and striker Patrik Schick, with two impressive strikes, have qualified for the final Goal of the Month competition in the current season. Alario impressed with his goal making it 4-2 in the away game at TSG Hoffenheim on the penultimate matchday. Schick also stood out in the same match with his two goals at 1-1 and 3-1. In turn, Pala showed a fine touch with his last-minute masterpiece to make it 2-1 in the last game of the season against SC Freiburg. The Argentina international scored in the 97th minute with a shot into an empty net from the semi-circle to round off the 2021/22 season.
You can vote now on the club’s Facebook page. You can see all the goals again there. The winner will be announced on Thursday 26 May.
Youngster Florian Wirtz has also received an award: The 19-year-old received his FIFA 22 Team of the Season card this morning. With absolute top numbers, the Werkself player was voted into the top team for the 2021/22 season alongside outstanding players such as Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
Moussa Diaby and Jeremie Frimpong were also included in the extended squad by the fans. We say: Fully deserved. Congratulations.
There is no summer break yet for the Bayer 04 Women's team players Chiara Bücher, Clara Fröhlich and Sofie Zdebel as they are currently at a U19 course organised by the German Football Association (DFB). The Germany youth players are in Krefeld up to Friday 27 May to prepare for the forthcoming European Championships. The tournament will be held in the Czech Republic on 26 June to 9 July.
Former Werkself player Heung-Min Son has won the Golden Boot award as the top goalscorer in the Premier League in 2021/22. The lightning-fast forward scored 23 goals for Tottenham Hotspur in 35 league games, the same number as Liverpool striker Mo Salah. Son netted a brace on the final matchday in a 5-0 win against Norwich City. The South Korea international became the first Asian player to be top goalscorer in England.
The South Korea player with 98 caps played under the Bayer Cross for two years before heading to England in the summer of 2015. Son scored 22 goals and provided eleven assists in 87 games for the Black and Reds.
24 May evokes memories at the Werkself: On matchday 33 in the 1996/97 season, the Black and Reds were certain of finishing second in the Bundesliga, which meant the team under coach Christoph Daum finished runners-up for the first time. Beyond that, Bayer 04 thereby qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club's history.
It was a different situation six years later: The team from Leverkusen secured 15th place in the table on the final matchday in the 2002/03 season to ensure their top-flight status. Yildiray Bastürk scored the only goal of the game in the 1-0 win against FC Nürnberg preventing his team from being relegated to the second division.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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