The holidays are over! The Werkself players came to the BayArena on Friday evening to undergo coronavirus tests – everything really gets going on Sunday. All the players first have to undergo the annual performance checks at the beginning of the season. The players will be kept busy for over four hours as they go through twelve different tests covering the areas of medicine, prevention and fitness. The first full training session will be on Monday – albeit without international players who are away with their national teams.
The Thursday edition of the Kicker sports journal included the first part of its half-yearly ranking of German football with four Werkself players in the positions of goalkeeper and central defender. Lukas Hradecky was fifth in the list of Bundesliga goalkeepers. "The Leverkusen player had a good second half of the season but with two crucial blemishes: Both in the league and in the DFB Cup, he made crucial mistakes against FC Bayern," was the reasoning.
Also outside the top four were central defenders Sven Bender in fifth place and Edmond Tapsoba in seventh. Jonathan Tah was also considered. The Kicker on Bender: "Extremely consistent, strong tackling leader also scored important goals. The Leverkusen player just misses out on the international category." On Tapsoba, the magazine writes: "brought in from Guimarães in the winter, Edmond Tapsoba got off to a flying start at Leverkusen with some outstanding performances. Pace, strength in challenges and a remarkable calm on the ball characterise the 21-year-old. The talented youngster from Burkina Faso did have jobs in two big games that he could not initially cope with: in the cup final against Bayern and in the Europa League against Inter Milan."
Two Werkself players have been included in the squad of the season for the UEFA Europa League. The technical observers from UEFA voted for 23 players involved in the Europa League 2019/20 campaign – from Bayer 04 are Jonathan Tah and Kai Havertz. Tah made four appearances in the Europa League last season and Havertz made five. The offensive player scored four goals and provided two assists.
The German Football League (DFL) is continuing to work with the authorities for an early return of spectators this year. The DFL is "ready to take up binding discussions with the relevant political authorities (…). Based on facts, responsible graded solutions should be agreed according to the pandemic situation to allow implementation in November providing the level of infection allows it," was the declaration published on Friday. A summit of federal and state governments announced on Thursday that no spectators would be allowed in professional sport until at least the end of October and large-scale events where contact tracing and the maintenance of hygiene protocols are not possible will be forbidden until at least the end of the year. The DFL sees "no fundamental reason for the denial" of games with spectators in the Bundesliga and second division.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with U19 midfielder Jonah Berghoff ahead of schedule. The Germany U18 international has signed professional terms with the club to 30 June 2030.
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With sixth place at the end of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, Bayer 04 ended a season in the top third of the table for the ninth time in a row. While the Werkself were narrowly eliminated in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 by eventual finalists Arsenal, the Black and Reds reached the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third season in succession. As in previous years, you once again have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is exclusively for Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app up to and including 11 June.
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With 46 points in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga, the Bayer 04 Women’s team once again broke the previous season's club record and ended up in fifth place - 15 wins is also a record. As in previous years, you now have the opportunity to vote for your Player of the Season. Voting is open exclusively to Bayer 04 Club members and only via the Bayer 04 app by 11 June.
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The guests at the Scala Club in Leverkusen were amazed when host Reiner Calmund suddenly brought the Managing Director of Sport at Bayer 04, Simon Rolfes, and record Werkself appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn onto the stage. As part of the show "An Evening with Football & Friends", organised by long-serving Bayer 04 managing director and general manager Calmund, the two surprise guests drew plenty of applause - and provided great entertainment in exciting conversations about the past and future.
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