A first highlight of Bayer 04's Mexico Tour 2022: The Werkself play Mexican top-flight club Deportivo Toluca on Tuesday 17 May at the Estadio Nemesio Diez. The venue has a capacity of 30,000 and is not far away from the biggest Bayer site in Mexico.
The Werkself Woman's team will play a Club América side at the legendary Aztec Stadium in Mexico City a few weeks later. Club América are one of the biggest clubs in the country and are currently fourth in the MX Femenil league.
While the team led by coach Achim Feifel will be in Mexico from 11 to 16 July, the squad under head coach Gerardo Seoane will fly out the day after the last game of the season against SC Freiburg (14 May) and will be in the country from 15 to 20 May.
"We are extremely happy to be part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Bayer Mexico," said Fernando Carro, the Bayer 04 CEO. "Over recent years we have worked hard to increase our international profile. On the one hand, we have created a base with more than 8 million digital fans and followers worldwide. At the same time we have continued to strengthen and extend the outstanding connections to Bayer AG. The immediate result is this fantastic alliance with Bayer Mexico."
Carro, who took part in a press conference on Tuesday on the announcement of the partnership, added: "At this point, I would like to thank the management of Bayer Mexico for enabling us to take part in the celebrations with our teams as Bayer ambassadors. I'd also like to thank the management of Deportivo Toluca, Club América and the Mexican league. We are looking forward to an exciting and hopefully long-term partnership."
The Mexico Tour 22 is Leverkusen's first trip to North and Central America since the Florida Cup in 2017. In that January, Bayer 04 first drew 1-1 with the Argentinian club Estudiantes and then beat the Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro from Belo Horizonte 1-0. For the Bayer 04 Women's team this will be the first trip over the Atlantic Ocean. After the best Bundesliga season to date in 2020/21, which ended with the Leverkusen Women's team in fifth place, the women are looking to finish in the top six again this season and also reach the final of the DFB Cup for the first time in the club's history. Achim Feifel's team play Turbine Potsdam in the semi-final in Leverkusen on Easter Monday, 18 April.
Bayer 04 have a long and successful history of players from North, Central and South America. The Brazilian player Tita was the first to come over the pond in 1987 and a year later he won the UEFA Cup with Leverkusen. Since then over 40 players from the two continents have made their way under the Bayer Cross. That includes two Mexicans: Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez (2015-17) and Andres Guardado (2014), who together made 89 appearances and scored 39 goals for the Black and Reds.
The Werkself tour will not only include a friendly fixture. A range of marketing and PR events in the Mexican capital have been planned as well as discussions with representatives of the Mexican league and individual clubs. There will also be a cultural programme as well as visits to community facilities. Carro: "Tours to football mad countries like Mexico strengthen intercultural exchange and also help to promote the Bundesliga abroad. We are very proud that our Women's team will be a crucial part of this partnership."
Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes knows "to very much value the opportunity for our young team. This tour, including the match in Toluca, will be a special experience for our players – and not just on the pitch. The experiences will also help them to develop as a team and as individuals."
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 personalised 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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