Simon Rolfes: "I wanted to make time in my first year as Managing Director to look over the structures and procedures in the sporting area – and make adjustments as necessary. The creation of the new position is a result of this process and I'm very happy that we have been able to appoint Thomas Eichin in this role." The experience, commitment and leadership ability of Eichin's, plus the very close corporation to date, have made him the ideal candidate for this position, according to Rolfes.
Thomas Eichin: "I didn't plan to take this step in my career. But the job is very exciting, takes account of the high demands in a modern sports organisation and, beyond that, offers lots of possibilities to develop it. I'm very happy with the confidence Simon Rolfes and Bayer 04 have in me. With my experience of 25 years in professional sport, I’d like to make my contribution to helping the club be more professional and more successful in the future."
Eichin's areas of responsibility will include the areas of staff, nutrition, organisation, infrastructure and logistics. Beyond that, the new 'head of professional football' will also provide a link from the professional teams to the medical section but also to other areas of the club.
Rolfes and Eichin will temporarily cover the vacant position of Head of Performance Centre until further notice. Rolfes: "We have made a number of changes in the youth section recently. But it remains a challenge for us. We will carry out a careful candidate and selection process to come up with an excellent and long-term solution to meet the demands of Bayer 04."
The areas of scouting and squad planning remain unaffected by the new structure. Kim Falkenberg, as Head of Recruitment, reports directly to the Bayer 04 Sporting Managing Director. "Kim Falkenberg has done an excellent job in his section in recent years. His role has assumed even more responsibility with the departure of Tim Steidten earlier in the year. I'm happy that he is part of our sports management team."
Ken Izekor is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join third-tier side Alemannia Aachen with immediate effect. The 19-year-old centre-forward joined the club from Alemannia in 2018, and Izekor is now returning to his hometown.
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The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Bayer 04 have named Jorginho, a 1994 World Cup winner with Brazil, an official club legend. He is the second former Werkself player, after Paulo Sergio, to be accorded this special honour. For many years, the former Leverkusen defender has been deeply committed to helping people in need in his home city of Rio de Janeiro. More than 25 years ago, Jorginho launched the Bola pra Frente project, through which he uses the money he earned as a player – including during his time at Bayer 04 – to support children and young people in the favelas in particular. During a trip to Brazil lasting several days, Fernando Carro, CEO at Bayer 04, assured Jorginho of the club’s support for Bola pra Frente for at least another five years.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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