"We are very happy that Sven has decided to sign for us," said sporting director Rudi Völler. "He's an extraordinarily experienced and versatile player who has showed his class in central defence most recently at Dortmund. His quality and leadership ability will do a lot of good for our young team."
Head coach Heiko Herrlich is also very impressed by the six-time Germany international and Olympic Silver medal winner from 2016: "Sven Bender is not just a high quality signing as a player," declared Herrlich. "I had a lot of discussions with him and my assessment has proved to be right. His mentality, his complete team spirit make him an ideal leader both on and off the pitch. Just like his brother Lars, Sven is the type of player that every team needs: at the top level in terms of football, extremely committed, relentless, passionate for the whole group. It's great to have both Benders in one team."
For Sven Bender, who played alongside Lars at TSV 1860 Munich up to 2009 in the second division, the move to Leverkusen represents an important boost in a successful career: "After eight wonderful years Dortmund the approach from Leverkusen was particularly attractive. From the many games against Bayer 04 I know the strength of this club. And I also know how much at home Lars feels here," said Bender who made 224 appearances for Borussia Dortmund. "Bayer 04 worked really hard to sign me and I and they gave me the impression they really wanted me to help achieve ambitious targets. That's why I definitely wanted to make the move. It's great it's all worked out."
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).
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The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Swiss goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 32-year-old joins the Werkself from the Lower Rhine Bundesliga club on loan to the end of the current season. This is the reaction of Bayer 04 to the injury to first choice keeper Mark Flekken, who faces a long spell on the sidelines.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Jonas Omlin. Bayer 04 have signed the 32-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes described the Swiss shot stopper, signed by the Werkself in reaction to the long-term absence of first choice keeper Mark Flekken, as an "internationally experienced keeper." Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing, who will wear the number 18 jersey.
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Lucas Vázquez was the hero in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen, when the Spaniard scored his first Bundesliga goal to secure an important victory for Leverkusen. The 34-year-old right-sided recently met up with the Werkself magazine for an interview in the Düsseldorf restaurant Casa Galicia after the first few months of settling in to his new home in Germany. Over tapas, the five-time Champions League winner, who left Real Madrid in the summer after 18 years to continue his career at Bayer 04, spoke about his career to date, the new challenge in Leverkusen and the importance of family - and he paid a big compliment to the fans of his new club.
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