Völler exactly recalls the set-up back then. "The benches used to be on the other side," said the departing sporting managing director as he sat down. And what he also immediately recognised – or perhaps not: "Oh yes, the huge video cube above the pitch has gone."
His first encounter with the legendary Estadio Azteca, up to now his "favourite stadium", came in the 1986 World Cup finals – against Argentina in front of an impressive 114,600 spectators. "It's impressive that a stadium of that dimension was built so long ago," said Völler looking into the vast expanse that was opened in 1966 and now "only" has 81,070 seats due to rebuilding of the stadium.
After an indifferent group stage, Germany went through to the Round of 16 in second place with four points and the team under the then Germany coach Franz Beckenbauer did not cover themselves in glory in the 1-0 victory against Morocco in the last 16 or in the win on penalties against Mexico in the quarter-finals. "We more or less scraped through," admitted Völler in retrospect.
The best performance by Germany was the 2-0 win against France in the semi-finals. Völler, who again and again struggled with minor knocks over the course of the tournament, scored the second goal. Germany were through to the final – and they faced Argentina with Diego Maradona. Völler started the game on the bench but came on for the second half. Shortly after that, Germany went 2-0 down but fought back to level at 2-2 with Rudi Völler scoring again.
The 62-year-old is now standing in front of the goal where he scored. "It was also very hot in the final," remembers Völler taking a walk down memory lane. Germany ended up losing 3-2 to the South American opponents – the dream of winning the title Mexico was over.
Völler's final official trip as a member of the Werkself management ended with a visit to the legendary venue in Mexico City – also where he made his last appearance as a player for Bayer 04. Völler played his final game on the end of season tour to the USA and Mexico.
The Werkself played top-flight Mexican club Atlante in a charity match in front of 60,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium. The proceeds went to support the Mexico aid programme of the German Football Association (DFB) in Querétaro, where Völler also made a stop again this time. "It's a happy coincidence for me to return here to end my career as a club official," said Völler. "That means the wheel comes full circle for me here again for the second time…"
Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
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Plenty going on both on and off the pitch: The Bayer 04 fan support team has organised a number of highlights for fans visiting the Werkself 2026/27 summer training camp in Blankenhain, in the Weimarer Land region. Registration for the events is now open. All the details at a glance.
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The Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team and s2-Software are continuing their long-term partnership: The Werkself and the provider of pre-owned Microsoft licences have extended their contract by two years to 2028. This means s2-Software will remain the Bayer 04 sleeve sponsor for all matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga.
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BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
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