The scholarship student will have the chance of a place in the eSports squad for the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL). Applicants aged at least 16 will undergo a multi-week selection process.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has become one of the top clubs in virtual football in Germany in recent years. Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ De Cae (Xbox) and Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin (PS4) finished an impressive third in the VBL in the 2019/20 season; ‘DETO’ crowned the season by winning the title of PS4 champion. Since the start of the current campaign, Anna ‘B04_Anna’ Klink, the Bayer 04 Women’s team goalkeeper, and Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr have joined the Leverkusen eSports squad. While Klink is mainly involved between the sticks on real turf in Germany’s top women’s league, the 18-year-old Landwehr is regularly involved in VBL matchdays.
And the new #B04eSports talent is set to be an integral part of the Bayer 04 VBL squad from the autumn of 2021. To secure a place in the sports college of the virtual Werkself team, the applicant has to undergo a comprehensive selection process: For starters, Bayer 04 will host a number of online tournaments to scout the first talents. If the pandemic allows it, two finalists will take part in a finals event in the Schwadbud at the BayArena in adherence with the strictest hygiene protocols. The best up-and-coming eSports athletes will be ‘tested’ in the areas of playing ability, handling social media and soft skills qualities.
The talent who impresses Bayer 04 most in this phase will receive a one-year grant for the sports boarding college, which was also attended by players like Kai Havertz. Within the framework of this education provision, the Werkself provide daily training sessions to develop skills in the following areas: game skills, tactics coaching, match analysis, PR work/handling social media, nutrition and fitness advice, academic training/support.
The application for a place as a #B04eSports talent starts with registration for one of the online tournaments offered. Applications for the tournament is possible from 1 February and shared via the #B04eSports social media channels. Any candidate who meets the eligibility requirements will automatically be entered in the selection process.
About #B04eSports:
Bayer 04 Leverkusen became involved in eSports over four years ago. The Werkself are also a founding member of the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL), the official eSports Bundesliga in the FIFA mode. In the second VBL season in 2019/20, Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin, eSports player at Bayer 04, won the title of PS4 champion. Leverkusen occupy an impressive third place in the club rankings in the of the Club Championship.
Eliminated ahead of the offline round: On Tuesday, 18 November, the Leverkusen console pros played the two remaining matches in the online preliminary round of showdown two. After picking up six points from the first four games last week, the #B04eSports team bagged another three in the two final duels - but it wasn't enough. The Leverkusen team missed out on a place in the offline knockout round, which will take place in this second showdown on 23 November in Frankfurt am Main.
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Just 11 days after their last encounter in the Bundesliga, Bayer 04 Women meet Hamburger SV again. On Sunday (15:00 CET), the two teams will be battling it out at the Volksparkstadion for a place in the DFB Cup quarter-finals. Coach Roberto Pätzold is aware of his team's status as favourites against the promoted outfit - and knows what it will come down to against the awkward opponents.
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Bayer 04 Women goalkeeper Charlotte Voll has been hit by injury again. The 26-year-old suffered an acromioclavicular joint separation in her left shoulder in the latter stages of the Bundesliga match at SC Freiburg on Monday and is set to be sidelined for a number of months. She underwent successful surgery in Düsseldorf on Friday.
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Like they did in the first showdown of the VBL Club Championship by WOW, which the Leverkusen gamers won in spectacular style, Marc and Sean Landwehr also started the second showdown with six points by beating TSG Hoffenheim and VfL Bochum 1848, last-16 participants of the first showdown. The #B04eSports team suffered defeat to SV Darmstadt 98 and Hertha BSC. Meanwhile, Keanu Senkbeil made his VBL CC debut in the clash with the capital club.
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