The final pre-match training session brought the realisation: All the players who were away on international duty are ready to play. 21 outfield players took part in the session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium including the recently slightly injured Charles Aránguiz. The only players missing are the three long-term absentees through injury Edmond Tapsoba, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Julian Baumgartlinger.
Head coach Gerardo Seoane will have to manage without another player in addition to the trio: Goalkeeper Niklas Lomb suffered a torn ligament in his left middle finger. The 28-year-old will be out of action for three weeks. We wish you a speedy recovery, Lombo.
The new matchday flyer the Werkself Live makes its first European appearance on Thursday. Exciting facts and figures on the encounter between the Black and Reds and Ferencváros is available immediately in the free online magazine. The special attraction of the new publication available at the BayArena: On the one hand, there is lots of information in compact form on the clash with the Hungarians and, on the other hand, a poster with our new signing Mitchel Bakker. That will find a good home in many a Werkself living room. Click HERE for the e-paper.
UEFA has appointed Andris Treimanis as the match referee for #B04FTC. For the 36-year-old Latvian, it is – with the exception of a Youth League game involving Borussia Dortmund in 2013 – the first involvement with a German club.
Jonathan Tah and Nadiem Amiri already have experience of the referee for tomorrow night: Playing for Germany, the Werkself duo appeared in three games with Treimanis in charge – once each with Germany (2020) plus the Germany U21s (2019) and U19s (2014).
The Ferencváros head coach is known to nearly everyone associated with Leverkusen: Peter Stöger – at FC Köln 2013 to December 2017 and that Borussia Dortmund from December 2017 to June 2018 – has coached the Hungarian champions for the last two and a half months. The 55-year-old sees his team as the underdogs in the away match in Leverkusen: "A lot of things would have to come together as Bayer 04 are the clear favourites. They have a lot of creative players who can make the right decisions on the pitch. Their quality is really incredible."
Stöger has greater hopes of the home games in the Hungarian capital. The Austrian added: "We are a force there. 25,000 spectators, enthusiastic fans and a great atmosphere." Group G, also including Real Betis and Celtic, is "worthy of the Champions League" according to the Austrian coach.
Chelsea, with Kai Havertz, showed how you make a successful start to a European competition on Tuesday night. The reigning Champions League winners won the opening home game against Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 with a goal scored by Romelu Lukaku. In spite of his success in London, the home-grown Werkself player, Havertz has not forgotten his former coach and teammates from Leverkusen.
Werder Bremen coach Markus Anfang, who Havertz played under in his youth days at Bayer 04, explained the 22-year-old played a part in the move of Mitchell Weiser to Werder. "I asked Kai about Mitchell. They played together in Leverkusen and are friends," said Anfang in an interview with Sport Bild. "Kai said Mitchell is a good lad who could help us and that he would fit in well." Weiser scored for Bremen in his first appearance. The 27-year-old is on loan at Werder Bremen until the end of the season.
Would you like to work at the BayArena? Be close to the action at Werkself games? Now you have your chance. There are currently vacancies with the Bayer Catering service in the areas of public catering as well as with the VIPs. All further information on the duties, conditions and requirements is available HERE.
To finish off, we would like to congratulate one of our former players: Wolfgang Vöge played for the Werkself from 1980 to 1984. The striker scored 24 goals in 125 Bundesliga matches in a Leverkusen shirt. The Ahlen-born former player is 66 years old today (Wednesday). Many happy returns.
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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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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