
Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin (PlayStation 4) and Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae (XBOX ONE) qualified for the finals tournament thanks to impressive performances that saw them end third in the Club Championship. The finals will also be played in the so-called 85 mode this year where all the teams have the playing ability level of 85 and therefore have equal chances. The 24 qualifiers – twelve from the Club Championship, twelve via play-offs – play into groups of six per console. The best four players in a group go through to the Round of 16.
The previous league matchday is now almost four months ago. The anticipation is very, very big. I'm looking forward to finally being able to perform again," said B04_DUBJZE ahead of Wednesday’s start in the group stage on 24 June (from 18.00 CET/live on Twitch: b04eSports). The 22-year-old Xbox player has been drawn in an extremely high quality group on paper: In the group stage, De Cae will be playing against the reigning German champion ‘MEGABIT’ (Bremen), ‘XIMPACT10’ (Fürth) and ‘DULLENMIKE’ (Wolfsburg). "It won't be an easy task," said the Werkself player. "But if I'm able to rediscover my performance levels from the Club Championship then it's very possible to at least get through the group stage."
His counterpart on PlayStation 4 also highlights the quality of the opposition. "All the participants deserve to be here – they're the best players in Germany in the 85 mode," said 'DETO'. "Therefore it depends on who's on top form on the day and is able to produce their best performances."
The Black and Red duo on the consoles do have title ambitions after their impressive performances in the Club Championship. De Cae: "We'd be really happy if one of us can win a title for Leverkusen."
The dates of the VBL Grand Final:
24.06. – Group stage (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
25.06. – Round of 16 & quarter-finals (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
28.06. – Semi-finals & final (12.00 CET / live on ProSieben Maxx)

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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A special surprise: during the preview for the 'Fierté Burkinabè' documentary about Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer 04 directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes announced Tapsoba's contract extension until 2031 together with the centre-back. He then spoke to Werkself-TV about his time in Leverkusen so far and future ambitions...
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This evening was deeply moving: At a really special setting, Bayer 04 exclusively presented the specially produced documentary ‘Fierté Burkinabè’ ("Burkinabe Pride") about Edmond Tapsoba on Tuesday. For the preview at the BayArena, the parents of the Werkself player and other close companions travelled all the way from his African homeland Burkina Faso. The 45-minute film shows Tapsoba's extraordinary career from his beginnings in Ouagadougou to Leverkusen as well as the work of his foundation "Fondation Edmond Tapsoba", with representatives from Burkina Faso also present. Fans can watch the documentary free of charge on Werkself TV and YouTube from Wednesday night at 20:00 CEST.
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Bayer 04 have signed left-back Carolin Simon from champions Bayern Munich for the coming season. The 33-year-old former Germany international, who played for Leverkusen from 2013 to 2016, has signed a contract to 30 June 2028.
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Bayer 04 Women have strengthened for the coming season with the signing of Lobke Loone. The 23-year-old Dutch striker joins from Utrecht on a contract until 30 June 2028.
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