15.12.2024Bayer 04

Sports Personality of the Year: Werkself second in Team of the Year category

Sport proved to be exciting, thrilling and fascinating in 2024. In addition to the Olympic Games in Paris and the Euros in Germany, the incredible season for the Werkself also belonged to the sporting highlights of the year. Bayer 04 crowned the performances in the Hinrunde by winning the German championship in the first half of 2024, notably as the first team winning the title without defeat, as well as lifting the DFB Pokal. Leverkusen also won the Supercup in the late summer.

The Werkself were nominated in the category of Team of the Year at the Sports Personality of the Year 2024 event staged by ZDF. Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes and Jonas Hofmann attended the ceremony in Baden-Baden on Sunday night and accepted the award for second place. 17.65% of the votes went to the Werkself.

Rolfes: "Thrilled lots of people across the whole of GermaNY"

"An incredible determination took us through the season that was marked by all the athletes here present in this exceptional year of sport," said Rolfes on the stage at the award presentation. "We overcame a lot of difficult situations and kept believing right to the end in every game. The team thrilled lots of people across the whole of Germany with their spirit. We are very proud of that."

Hofmann: "We definitely wanted to write a chapter in the history of the club – and we succeeded in doing that! Last season was exceptional and we went beyond our limits as a team as did everybody else throughout the club. A lot is possible in sport if everybody sticks together – we saw that this season in the Pokal game in Munich. We are going to try to achieve big things again this year. We're working hard on that."

The Germany 3x3 Women's basketball team, who won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, were voted Team of the Year 2024 with 29.61% of the votes. Third place went to the Germany handball team, who were silver medal winners in Paris, with 12.33% of the votes.

OTHER WINNERS INCLUDE Zeidler And Kroos

Awards were also presented in other categories. The rowing Olympic gold medal winner Oliver Zeidler won the Sports Personality of the Year 2024 award, Darja Varfolomeev (gold medallist in rhythmic gymnastics) was named the female Sports Personality of the Year 2024. The 2024 Lifetime Award went to the former Werkself player and 2014 World Cup winner Toni Kross.

Photos: Tom Weller/24passion

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