Bayer 04 Club members have already had it in their hands or in their post box – now the new edition of the Werks11 Magazin is available for all other Black and Reds supporters as an e-paper. In the latest edition, number 29, there is interesting reading material about the Werkself and much else involving Bayer 04.
We have interviewed Sven Bender. The boss at the back is playing his fourth and final season at the Werkself. In the summer, together with his twin brother Lars, he is drawing a line under 15 years of professional football and will leave a void and not only just in Leverkusen. But until that time, Sven still has ambition as he revealed in the Werks11 Magazin interview. And Lucas Alario also has a lot to say in the current edition: In his interview, the 28-year-old talks about the reasons for his impressive form, the significance of the numerous South American players at Bayer 04 for personal well-being plus what it feels like to be on the pitch with Lionel Messi.
We also have an in-depth interview with Fernando Carro. The chairman of the board talks about ambition and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We look forward to the attractive clash in the Europa League with Young Boys Bern and talk to the Women's head coach Achim Feifel ("The women's ability to take criticism is more pronounced,"). Other subjects include the Volunteers award 2020, the 25th anniversary of the Löwenclub and the 'staywell campaign' run jointly by Bayer AG and Bayer 04.
go out on this Sunday two former players Dominik Kohr (27), Sidney Sam (33) and Jurica Vranjes (41). Happy birthday to all three, have a fantastic day and above all: Stay fit and healthy.
Brought through the ranks at Leverkusen, Dominik Kohr has gone out on loan during the winter transfer window from Eintracht Frankfurt to Mainz 05. In two weeks there is a reunion with the now 27-year-old when the Werkself entertain Mainz at the BayArena Bundesliga matchday 21 (Saturday, 13 February, 15.30 CET).
Sidney Sam is now playing in Turkey's top flight after joining Antalyaspor in the summer. The former Croatia international Jurica Vranjes hung up his boots in 2012 and now works as an agent.
Just three days after the Bundesliga away game at RB Leipzig, the Werkself face the next challenge: The team led by head coach Peter Bosz are away to Regional League side Rot-Weiss Essen on Tuesday 2 February (kick-off: 18.30 CET) in the DFB Cup Round of 16. Ahead of the clash, the Essen police have sent out a warning to fans of the former big club: "Given the current rates of infection, people must not assemble as happened following the game against Fortuna Düsseldorf on 23 December last year," wrote the police in a press release. Essen beat Fortuna Düsseldorf in the second round of the cup – after the surprise win, fans gathered to celebrate at the stadium in Essen. Ahead of the game against the Werkself, the City of Essen and the Essen police announced, "before, during and after the game we will be on duty to monitor the maintenance of coronavirus protection regulations and take action in the event they are breached."
This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
Show more
With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
Show more
Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
Show more
