The news was a bombshell: Overnight from Sunday to Monday, twelve top European clubs officially announced their intention to form a so-called ‘Super League’. The clubs from England, Italy and Spain are intending to run the competition on weekdays. At the weekend they want to continue to play in their national leagues.
Immediately after the announcement, numerous clubs and officials from across Europe criticised this project. FIFA and UEFA are also against the introduction of a Super League. Leverkusen's sporting managing director Rudi Völler did not mince his words. The 61-year-old said to the Bild newspaper: “A closed shop is a crime against football. Anybody who wants to play in this league should be thrown out of all national leagues. With all their teams. The youth teams, the women's teams – all of them have to go!" Völler said in relation to the two possible Super League participants from Germany: "The fact Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are not joining in shows they've got a backbone."
Better news from the Werkself camp – and what news it was. The 3-0 derby win in the home game against FC Köln unleashed great emotion amongst Werkself players, coaches, officials, staff and fans. Bayer 04 won both games against FC Köln in a season for the first time since 2008/09.
The target for the 66th Bundesliga meeting with the team from Cologne was clearly expressed by the Werkself head coach Hannes Wolf at the pre-match press conference on Friday: "It's about the next derby win!" Said and done!
Leon Bailey opened the scoring early on at the BayArena (5'), Moussa Diaby (51’) and the Jamaican again (76’) secured the final score of 3-0 in the second half. Over the course of the second 45 minutes, with the Werkself already on course for victory in the derby, chants from the fans could be heard at the BayArena. Around 80 Black and Red supporters gathered on Bismarckstraße. Maintaining social distance and wearing masks, they cheered and sang for the 26th derby win in the top-flight.
After the final whistle, Charles Aránguiz and Co. thanked the fans: The Werkself assembled on the pitch in front of the East Stand and applauded loudly. A successful partnership between team and supporters adhering to the rules and restrictions due to the pandemic – and a great end to a successful derby Saturday.
For the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, two-goal Leon Bailey was the 'Man of the Match' and the 'Best Player on the Pitch'. His performance earned the Jamaican top marks and the same assessment in the kicker. The Rheinische Post gave Bailey top marks and he was also in the team of the day in the Bild and kicker. Other top marks went to Moussa Diaby, scorer of the second goal, as well as defensive stalwart Sven Bender.
In order to provide the best possible and safe working environment, Bayer 04 worked in partnership with the German Red Cross plus volunteers on Saturday to provide voluntary, free coronavirus tests for the first time for all members of staff and journalists. Around 80 people were tested ahead of the derby.
Tests will be available for further Werkself home games as with the clash with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, 24 April (kick-off: 18.30 CET).
The new eSports season is just around the corner. The VBL Club Championship by WOW starts on Thursday 15 October (from 18:00 CEST). And, as every year, here’s an overview: What changes are there? What is staying the same?
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Bayer 04 record-appearance maker Rüdiger Vollborn invites you to another evening in the popular ‘Rudi lädt ein’ series: on Tuesday 10 November, in collaboration with Bayer AG, the focus will be on the Nazi period. The focus will be on football, Bayer 04 and the city of Leverkusen.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has secured a new network partner in Extreme Networks GmbH. The leading provider of AI-powered network automation has agreed a five-year partnership with the Bundesliga club, running until 30 June 2031. As part of this, the club’s existing Wi-Fi 5 infrastructure will be replaced by more than 400 Wi-Fi 7 access points, which are specifically designed to meet the requirements of a stadium with a high user density. The aim is to enhance the fan experience while optimising operational processes and security.
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New signing Miguel Gutiérrez has made a good start at Leverkusen and has promptly earned a nomination for Player of the Month in his first few weeks in the Bundesliga. He has scored one goal and provided three assists in four league games. The Spanish left-back has also brought some impressive stats with him to Bayer 04. Issue #56 of the Werkself magazine has taken a look at these figures. ‘Facts & Fun’ with Miguel Gutiérrez.
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With seven points, Mainz 05 are currently joint seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Bayer 04. In today’s head-to-head clash (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself must be particularly wary of the clinical Mainz strike duo. For Leverkusen fans who have left it to the last minute, there are still a few tickets available from the matchday ticket office. Those following the Black and Reds from home, on the other hand, have a choice: RTL is broadcasting the match on free-to-air TV, and Werkself Radio is also offering the expert commentary of former Bayer 04 player Falko Götz. Today’s matchday news.
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