While the first team were working on the training ground at the BayArena under the guidance of head coach Peter Bosz on Monday, sporting director Simon Rolfes was in California on behalf of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. At the annual meeting of the management from different football and sports clubs, held at the Silicon Valley IT centre, the focus was on communication and the development of a modern approach to management. Rolfes was joined by Markus Krösche (RB Leipzig) and Hasan Salihamidzic (FC Bayern). And Rolfes' former team-mate Clemens Fritz was also there on behalf of Werder Bremen.
According to Bosz, all the recently injured players should be fit for the game against Schalke 04 (kick-off: 15.30 CET) on Saturday 7 December. That means Charles Aránguiz, Leon Bailey and Wendell – who were all taken off during the 2-1 victory in Munich – are all options for the clash with the Royal Blues.
Following the 2-1 away win at the reigning champions of Germany, three Leverkusen players were named in the kicker Team of the Day: The sports journal picked out double goalscorer Bailey, captain Lars Bender and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. That was the second time the Finn has featured this season and for Bailey and Bender it was the first time. Only league leaders Borussia Mönchengladbach had greater representation on matchday 13 with five of their players making the kicker team. Hradecky and Bailey were also considered for the team of the day on the Sportschau TV programme. Six Bayer 04 protagonists made it into the BILD team of the day: Hradecky, Lars Bender, Aránguiz, Bailey, Kevin Volland plus coach Bosz.
Monday saw the end of auctions for Bayer 04 shirts with braille. With the shirts of Karim Bellarabi and Julian Baumgartlinger, the highest bid was €277 for each of them. The goalkeeper shirt of Niklas Lomb went for €280. That brings the total raised to €4,210. The donations raised will be used to help the visually impaired who attend Werkself home matches.
Konstantinos Stafylidis today celebrates his 26th birthday. The left back played for Bayer 04 from 2012 to 2015. During that time the Greek player went on loan to PAOK Saloniki and Fulham. Stafylidis only played competitive games for Bayer 04 in 2013/2014 with one first-team appearance and eight for the reserves (one goal). Bayer 04 wish him a very happy birthday.
Bayer 04 Women have their second straight home game as they close out Matchday 5 in the Google Pixel Bundesliga against Carl Zeiss Jena on Monday. Kick-off at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion is at 6pm CEST, with head coach Roberto Pätzold expecting a defensive-minded opponent while his team look to continue their good form.
Show moreBayer 04 host Bundesliga newcomers at the BayArena for Matchday 6 on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST) in a game where the club will mark its 120th anniversary with a special-edition kit. Speaking at his press conference ahead of the game, Xabi Alonso talked about how his team will approach the fixture with the right mentality and required respect for the opposition.
Show moreThe German double winners’ special-edition jersey to mark the club’s 120th anniversary is reminiscent of the first kit worn by players back in the 1907/08 season. The jersey, which the Werkself will wear for the Bundesliga home game against Holstein Kiel on Saturday, 5 October and which has been met with enthusiasm by the players, has numerous special features relating to the club's history, including an NFC chip that leads to exclusive content when scanned with a smartphone.
Show moreBundesliga debutants Holstein Kiel come to the BayArena on Saturday, 5 October (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST) looking to improve on their defensive record up against the Werkself after a tough start to the season. No team has conceded more goals so far than the promoted side. Learn more about our next opponents here…
Show moreVanessa Haim became Bayer 04 Women's sixth summer signing shortly before the start of the training camp in Poland. Around two months after her arrival in Leverkusen, the 27-year-old tells bayer04.de about her move under the Cross and her former job as a teacher.
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