Lucas Vázquez was described as "one of the great legends" at Real Madrid last month in his farewell at the official Real celebrations after the Club World Cup. He played a total of 402 games for Real Madrid collecting 24 trophies in ten years. For the 34-year-old, the move to Bayer 04 represents playing for a club outside his home country for the first time.
Vázquez, born in the small town of Curtis in Galicia in north-western Spain, joined Real Madrid at the age of 16 in 2007. Up to 2010, he progressed through all the youth teams and in the 2010/11 season he played for the third team. A year later he moved up to the second team. With Real Madrid Castilla, Vázquez was promoted to the Segunda División in 2012/20 after two seasons in the third tier of Spanish football. Good performances brought his first call-up to the senior squad. But he did not play on matchdays 30 and 33 in the 2013/14 Primera División season.
The 1.73 metre tall right-footer went out on loan to Espanyol in the following season. He played his first game in the top tier for the Pericos and he quickly became a first choice. He then returned to Real Madrid where he became part of the first team squad and he won the Champions League in his first season back of the club. He played in the final and put away his first shot in the penalty shootout that Real won 5-3 against city rivals Atletico Madrid. Impressive performances in the league secured his debut for Spain in that year and he has nine international caps to date.
The hard-working Spaniard picked up numerous trophies with Real Madrid in the following years and, in the star ensemble of Cristiano Ronaldo and Co., he developed into a quiet but reliable player in the team as well as a fan favourite. The willingness to run, team work and loyalty have always made Vázquez stand out. Originally a winger, he has demonstrated his versatility over the years and has impressed on the right flank both in attack and also as a right-back.
Managing director sport Simon Rolfes said of the reliable Spaniard at the contract signing: "In Lucas Vázquez we have signed an extremely experienced player who has won everything there is to win with Real Madrid over the last ten years. He has great technique, is well-versed in tactics, a brilliant provider and strategist. Lucas will have a great influence on our game with his football finesse and special routine and he will become a key part of our team.”
Vázquez said: "Now I'm looking forward to continuing my career at Bayer Leverkusen. I've heard a lot about the club from Xabi Alonso and my long-standing teammate Dani Carvajal in Madrid. My discussions with the management confirmed what I've been told: Bayer 04 are absolutely focused on winning, are hungry and they are aiming for the biggest targets. That mindset coincides with my ideas and I'm looking forward to striving for more success at Leverkusen.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed Kerim Alajbegovic’s transfer to Italian record champions Juventus. The club brought the 18-year-old attacking player back to Leverkusen this summer via a buy-back option, following a season at Red Bull Salzburg. Until his move to Austria, the Bosnia international had been playing for Bayer 04’s Under-19s.
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With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
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