Back
1.05.2021Bayer 04

‘Rudi recounts’…: Vollborn on Bayer 04 May highlights

Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for nearly 40 years, he has 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 Cup (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. From 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...
Vollborn_170724_12643.jpg

Vollborn looks back at goals, matches, personalities and stories away from the pitch from the Bayer 04 club history. For the month of May, the Leverkusen legend includes highly interesting TV-highlights of a defensive battle against the Royal Blues and the biggest Bundesliga home win to date. For the month of May, the Leverkusen legend presents highly interesting TV-highlights of two Werkself games from 1980 and 2002 , which provided salvation for the Black and Reds.

Also for the month of May: Rudi’s emotional appreciation of Lars Bender who is leaving Bayer 04 in the summer after twelve years as he retires from professional football. Similar to the Benders, our record appearance maker also introduces the Grammingers. Those twin brothers signed for Leverkusen in 1958. Click HERE for the articles.

Related News

Jubel
DFB-Pokal - 03.02.2026

3-0 against St. Pauli - Werkself through to Pokal semi-finals for third time in a row

Once again in the last four! Bayer 04 put in a mature and, for long stretches, commanding performance to defeat a courageous FC St. Pauli in the quarter-finals of the 2025/26 DFB Pokal to reach the semi-finals of the competition for the third time in a row. Martin Terrier gave Leverkusen the lead on 32 minutes before Patrik Schick made it 2-0 on 63 minutes. Substitute Jonas Hofmann capped off a strong second half for the Werkself with the third goal in added time.

Show more
Jarell Quansah
Bayer 04 - 03.02.2026

Vote now for Quansah as BL Rookie of the Month for January

The German Football League (DFL) has announced the three candidates for the title of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for January. That includes Werkself player Jarell Quansah. Fans of Bayer 04 can vote for their favourite on the Bundesliga app from now until Thursday, 5 January (23:59 CET).

Show more
Kurzpässe vor #B04FCSP Pokal
DFB-Pokal - 03.02.2026

Matchday news #B04FCSP: DFB Pokal quarter-final against battling St. Pauli

As in the past two years, the Werkself are aiming to come out on top in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals on Tuesday night, 3 February (kick-off: 20:45 CET). With eleven home games in a row without defeat against the Kiezkicker, the Black and Reds go into the floodlit match in confident mood. But the Pokal, as is often said, has its own magic and the team from the Millerntor has much more to offer than the current 17th place in the Bundesliga would suggest. After all, Bayer 04 are one of the big German teams the combative Hamburgers have already made life difficult for this season. The matchday news.

Show more
Landwehr-Cousins
eSports - 03.02.2026

#B04eSports: Penalty shoot-out, victory against club champions, semi-final exit - Top four in Showdown 4

The Leverkusen eSports team picked up valuable points and made up ground in the overall table with a top four finish in the offline round in Showdown 4 in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. In the round of 16, Showdown 1 winners Bayer 04 defeated the unbeaten runners-up in the previous round, VfL Bochum, in a thrilling penalty shoot-out. The Landwehr cousins, themselves the current club runners-up, then beat the current club champions and Showdown 3 winners RB Leipzig. It was not until the semi-finals that they lost out to the eventual showdown winners Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Show more
Rafaela Borggräfe
Women - 03.02.2026

Freiburg homegrown talent back in the Bundesliga: Rafaela Borggräfe profile

Welcome to Leverkusen, Rafaela Borggräfe. Bayer 04 have signed the goalkeeper on loan from Liverpool until the end of the season. Bayer04.de profiles the 25-year-old.

Show more