Bayer 04 have been in drawn an interesting group and the club has not faced any of the three opponents before.
Sporting managing director Rudi Völler: "This draw shows the appeal of the Europa League. I think our group is brilliant and there are great names in it. Our fans can look forward to that and hopefully enjoy a lot of success with us." And sporting director Simon Rolfes is also full of anticipation for the group stage to be played between September and December: "It's a really attractive group with strong teams. We look forward to the matches against such big clubs."
Celtic finished runners-up in the Scottish Premiership last season. After going out of the Champions League in the qualifying rounds, the team under Ange Postecoglou went through the Europa League qualifiers against FK Jablonec and AZ Alkmaar.
Real Betis qualified for the UEL by finishing sixth in La Liga. Ferencváros, this year coached by the former Bundesliga manager Peter Stöger, finished champions in the Hungarian top-flight last term. The team led by the 55-year-old are also in the Europa League after going out in the Champions League qualifiers.
"The opponents will pose a great challenge on the pitch and also be extremely attractive for our fans. It's a European cup and that's what you want from this competition. Our aim is to go through from this exciting group," said Bayer 04 head coach Gerardo Seoane.
Fixtures kick off at 18.45 or 21.00 Central European Time. Match details will be announced by Saturday morning.
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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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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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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