A reception at the German – Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade in the city centre of São Paulo was the first event of the day. Different members of the German – Brazilian business community attended to hear one or two anecdotes from the historic double winning season of 2023/24 first hand from Simon Rolfes, sporting managing director at Bayer 04, and Kim Falkenberg, head of recruitment at Bayer 04. The event was hosted by Katharina Gerlitz, coordinator for market entry and business development at the foreign trade chamber.
That was followed by a very special visit: Bayer 04, in partnership with the Plastiks company, opened a new green mining recycling station in São Paulo. Bayer 04 legend Paulo Sergio made the one-hour journey to Embu das Artes, a municipality to the south of São Paulo, to experience first-hand how the waste collection point works. On site he spoke in depth to young people about the subject of sustainability.
The visit to the recycling plant was the official launch of a joint project. Plastiks is a sustainable organisation that is committed worldwide to the reuse of waste and against waste pollution. As part of this cooperation, Bayer 04 is working with the green mining organisation in São Paulo, the most populous city in South America and hometown to club legend Sergio, where the waste recycling rate is currently only around 3%. You can find out more HERE.
Rolfes and Falkenberg had a little time for a sightseeing tour through the city – with the walk including São Paulo's famous area of Beco de Batman (Batman Alley), which is primarily known for its artistic wall paintings. A must during the walk: The Meisterschale.
Holger Tromp, communications director at Bayer 04, summed up the eventful day as follows: "Today was a great opportunity for us to make contact with a large number of the members of the community of São Paulo – whether that was the business people from the foreign trade chamber, with employees at the green mining station or simply with football fans everywhere here during our events." Tromp added: "This link should be durable to further strengthen our link to the Brazilian market and the country over the long term."
The third day in the melting pot of Brazil starts with a number of media events followed by a visit to a school. The day will be rounded off with a premiere of the Bayer 04 documentary 'A Dream Comes True' that is being broadcast in Brazil for the first time in the evening in cooperation with TV Globo to over 1,000 people at the Goethe Institute.
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
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Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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