Lukas, congratulations on reaching the DFB Cup semi-finals. What's your view of the game?
We didn't play well in the first half and we didn't apply enough pressure. We wanted to show what we could do in the second half and we played better football. That was working before the sending off. After the two yellow cards for the Union player, it was easier for us to get behind their defence. That meant we could turn the game round.
Frankfurt also come to the BayArena boosted by the win against Bremen. How do you think you need to play to win at home?
In lots of games over the past few weeks, we've learned you have to give your all to get a result. Eintracht aren't doing so well in the league at the moment but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. They’ve produced some great performances in the Europa League. It will be a tough game and they will definitely want to beat us.
You were in goal for Eintracht for three years. Is this game always special for you?
Of course, and it will always be like that. It's good to see how Eintracht have got on since I left. They're playing good football and their current position in the table doesn't reflect the quality of the team. I'm proud of my three years at Frankfurt and the club will always have a place in my heart.
Are you still in contact with anybody at Frankfurt?
Yes, we write to each other from time to time. For example, the new goalkeeping coach Jan Zimmerman is a very good friend of mine and there are also a couple of guys from the coaching staff. There's still very good contact.
Playing in three competitions carries on for you, and after the game against Frankfurt there is the Europa League clash in Glasgow. What will be most important in the next few weeks?
There are lots of important games coming up and there's not a lot of time to recover. We can't afford to ease off now, quite the contrary: We have to be positive and should enjoy playing so many games.
This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
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With three games to play before the end of the season, the Bayer 04 Women can break one record and equal another at SGS Essen. After three wins on the bounce, coach Roberto Pätzold's team are aiming to maintain the chance of third place in Sunday’s away game (14:00 CEST, Stadion an der Hafenstraße).
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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 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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From Ouagadougou to Leverkusen – and back: in March, Bayer 04 travelled with Edmond Tapsoba for a special project in his homeland Burkina Faso. The country where his roots and heart lie. The country where he’s more than a world-class defender: a symbol of hope and a role model for an entire generation. The result is a 45-minute documentary about Tapsoba’s long journey from Africa via Portugal to Leverkusen, which offers extraordinary, one-off and emotional insights.
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Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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