Trophy Tour in Brazil – Bayer 04's special connection with Brazil

Tita was followed by performers and football legends from Brazil. First, defender Jorginho and then the dynamic Paulo Sergio who played 150 games and scored 64 goals. During his time at Leverkusen, he won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 – together with Jorginho who was already at Bayern Munich by then. As an official Bayer 04 legend, Paulo Sergio will take part in numerous events at the forthcoming Trophy Tour in São Paulo, his hometown.

Zé Roberto, one of the most exciting midfielders of his time, came to Leverkusen in the summer of 1998. He set standards at Bayer 04, mesmerising football fans in Germany and Europe but he suffered his biggest disappointment in a Werkself shirt when Leverkusen finished runners-up in the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal in 2002 as well as unluckily losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League final. After playing 113 Bundesliga games (scoring 18 goals) for the Black and Reds he went on to play for Bayern Munich where he won the Bundesliga and lifted the DFB Pokal four times each. Zé Roberto will also be at the Trophy Tour in São Paulo on the final day.

Lucio, Juan and Renato Augusto were the key Brazilian players at Bayer 04 over the next decade between 2001 and 2012. Together they made over a hundred appearances each for the Werkself. Lucio was 22 years old when he came to Germany and in his 23-year career, which included winning the World Cup in 2002, he also played for other top European clubs – including Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Juventus.

Like Zé Roberto ten years earlier, Renato Augusto was another Brazilian midfielder who made a big impression with his pace and his technical ability after signing for Bayer 04 in 2008. After four and a half emotional years, Renato returned to Brazil as a crowd favourite at Leverkusen and he went on to win the league title with Corinthians from São Paulo. That season Renato was named the best player in the Brazilian league in 2015 receiving the Bola de Ouro (Golden ball) award.

As the next Brazilian after Renato Augusto, defender Wendell signed for Leverkusen as a 20-year-old in 2014. He made 250 appearances for the Werkself between 2014 and 2021, the highest number of all Brazilian players and he also holds the current record for appearances by a foreign player at Bayer 04.

Wendell was followed by the striker Paulinho and last year's new signing from América Mineiro, Arthur. "Arthur brings football finesse above all to his game as well as impressive pace. He is agile, has good vision in defence and is also good going forwards," said sporting managing director Simon Rolfes at his signing. Arthur made his debut for Brazil in the spring of 2023. Just before that, he won the South American championship with the Brazil U20 team. And: Arthur was able to achieve something no other Brazilian had before him. With Bayer 04, he won the first Bundesliga title in the club's history and, by winning the DFB Pokal in May, also the German double and then the Supercup too.

This as yet incomplete list demonstrates that players from Brazil have a long tradition under the Cross. This week at the Trophy Tour in Brazil, Bayer 04 celebrate a long-standing and successful link that also provides the foundations for more success stories in the future.

Brazilian players at Bayer 04:

• Tita, 1987-1988  
• Jorginho, 1989-1992
• Paulo Sérgio, 1993-1997 
• Rodrigo Chagas, 1995-1996 
• Ramon Menezes, 1995-1996 
• Zé Elias, 1996-1997 
• Emerson, 1997-2000 
• Zé Roberto, 1998-2002 
• Robson Ponté, 1999-2001 
• Marquinhos, 2000-2002 
• Lúcio, 2001-2004 
• França, 2002-2005 
• Cris, 2003 
• Juan, 2002-2007  
• Roque Júnior, 2004-2007 
• Athirson, 2005-2007 
• Renato Augusto, 2008-2012  
• Henrique, 2008-2009 
• Lucão, 2010-2011 
• Carlinhos, 2012-2013 
• Wendell, 2014-2021 
• André Ramalho, 2015-2016 
• Paulinho, 2018-2022 
• Arthur, since 2023