Diego, how are you doing in these exciting days for Bayer 04? How did you experience the Bundersliga title race?
Placente: I wrote to Exequiel Palacios straight away and told him that he and his teammates made me and all the Leverkusen fans feel very relieved when it was finally over. (laughs) There were many, many years where Bayer 04 had a very good squad and were often close to winning the championship, but in the end it never quite worked out. This season was different. I went to bed very happy that day.
You were also close to winning the German championship with Bayer 04 more than 20 years ago...
Placente: Yes, unfortunately it never quite worked out back then. We were often teased at away games by the opposing fans singing that we would never become German champions. Fortunately, that will never happen again. We lacked a bit of that final punch towards the end of the campaign. But it was never in doubt this season, the title is more than deserved.
There could be two more trophies this season. The week begins with the first of two cup finals on Wednesday evening in Dublin in the Europa League against Atalanta. What do you think of the Werkself's chances in this clash?
Placente: Atalanta are a very strong side physically, so it won't be easy. For me it's a 50:50 game, both can win. But of course my heart is with Leverkusen and I'll be cheering them on!
Three days later, the action continues with the DFB Pokal final against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Berlin. It could be the crowning glory of what has already been a historic season...
Placente: The team have worked hard for this chance throughout the season. They have a lot of confidence, especially after winning the league. This title has been liberating, but they will by no means rest on their laurels. That's not their mentality.
Do you see any similarities between the team from the 2001/02 season and the current side?
Placente: Above all, it's these very special characters in the team; such an extraordinary season can only be achieved with mentally strong players. The playing styles of the two teams, on the other hand, are rather different, as are the starting positions: back then, we were the underdogs in pretty much every game and that's how we went into them, especially in the Champions League against the really big teams in Europe. The Leverkusen of today, no matter who they're up against, implement their own style and pay little attention to their opponents.
What message would you like to send to Bayer 04 fans at the end of this historic season?
Placente: I'd like to congratulate all the fans on winning the Bundesliga, you deserve it so much! Many, many people here in Argentina also support Leverkusen, they love watching the team's football. I'm proud of the players, the coaches, the club management and the fans - you've all done a terrific job so far! I hope and believe that you will carry on having similar success.
“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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