Simon, you have a somewhat different international break over the coming days. What are the aims of the Trophy Tour?
Rolfes: Last season was special for us. Our task now is to use that success to strengthen our club in important markets across the world, increase awareness of us, and, of course, grow as a club at the end of the day. The Trophy Tour also makes it possible to engage with fans and partners of Bayer 04 all over the world on a personal level. At the same time, we are ambassadors for the whole of the Bundesliga and we want to fulfil this role as best we can.
Why Brazil as a destination?
Rolfes: The Brazilian way of playing football, their passion and love for football have always fascinated and attracted Bayer 04. That's also why there has been a historic link for decades with Brazilian players who have played for Bayer 04 like Paulo Sergio, Lucio, Zé Roberto, Jorginho and in recent times Wendell, Paulinho - and now Arthur. Brazil is a very interesting target market for us. Bayer AG is already very well represented here and has thousands of employees in São Paulo alone who work on a big campus. I'm looking forward to getting to meet many of them.
What events are planned?
Rolfes: It will be quite a busy week. Together with my colleague Kim Falkenberg (Head of Recruitment at Bayer 04, ed.) we will be at an employee event organised by Bayer South America. In addition, we will visit the German Chamber of Foreign Trade and we will have a training session with children at a German school in São Paulo. On top of that, there are a lot of media events. Of course, we will always have the trophies with us. (He laughs)
Will Arthur be on the tour as a Brazilian?
Rolfes: Unfortunately he can't be with us. He will be training in Leverkusen. It's important for me to mention: When Arthur contributed to winning trophies last season he also won something for all the Brazilians who have played for our club over the years. They all helped establish the path we are now on.
Have you ever played in Brazil?
Rolfes: Unfortunately not.
Who do you think is the best Brazilian footballer to play for Bayer 04?
Rolfes: We've had so many different, brilliant players and characters here. I had the opportunity to play alongside Renato Augusto for several years. His style of play was very flexible. He began as a young professional in attacking midfield and later played in a more a more defensive role. Renato was incredibly strong technically and dangerous in front of goal and his tactical ability grew with increasing experience. A great player.
Could other players from Brazil play for the Black and Reds in the future?
Rolfes: Definitely. Given our positive experience to date, I don't know why not.
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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