"First of all, I'd like to say a big thank you to Rüdiger Vollborn. He made it possible for some of the players from that team to meet up again here at the BayArena. It's great to be back," said Karl-Heinz Brücken in conversation with the stadium announcers Pitti Dahl and Tobias Ufer at half-time.
The former Leverkusen midfielder provided an insight into the training regime for the team that achieved such success back then that few people would understand today: "We only trained three times a week. That was the most at the amateur level as things were at the time. We all had jobs or were studying." Brücken was a student back then and he joined Bayer 04 from Fortuna Düsseldorf after he came to the attention of the then head coach Theo Kirchberg who offered him a trial and then a contract.
Asked about how the team prepared for matches back then, the 75-year-old Brücken was happy to recall: "We only had 13 outfield players and two keepers in the whole squad – it was simply a completely different time. Although it was possible to substitute players from the 1967/68 season – one player could be replaced. Of course, it was difficult with such a small squad given all the commitments. We met up on Saturdays before matches and often went to the Bergische where we could prepare for matches with walks and discussions. That led to a really good team spirit and that was definitely important for us going on to win the title given the small size of the squad."
Whether it's sport or his private live: Captain Edmond Tapsoba tells us his top three personal favourites in twelve categories in edition #56 of the Werkself Magazine. The defender had to answer as quickly as he reacts on the pitch. 'On the Podium' with Edmond Tapsoba!
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“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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A floodlit derby, two further night games and a top-of-the-table clash on a Saturday afternoon: The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed the exact dates for four further matchdays in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. This means all fixtures for the Bayer 04 women’s team up to the end of the year, as well as the first two in 2027, are now confirmed.
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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Several Werkself players are set to represent their national teams during the final international break of 2026. Here’s an overview of who has been called up and the matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
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