Kicking off the new season together: Carro, Rolfes, Martínez and players at fan club meet-up

A special moment came right at the start of the traditional event: The whole squad and the fan club representatives in attendance gathered in front of the camera for a group photo. This was followed by a series of discussion sessions. Head coach Carles Martínez, captain Edmond Tapsoba, goalkeeper Mark Flekken and new signings Afonso Moreira, Miguel Gutiérrez and Facundo Medina kicked things off. After that, Fernando Carro, CEO at Bayer 04, Managing Director Sport Simon Rolfes and Director of Professional Teams Thomas Eichin answered questions from the fans.

As usual, there was plenty to talk about in both sessions: from the pre-season preparations to the successful start to the season in Wiesbaden, right through to expectations for the coming months, the fan club representatives asked questions on a wide range of topics – including personal matters and first impressions of the new faces at the club. Consequently, the afternoon was a welcome opportunity, particularly for manager Martínez and the new signings Moreira, Gutiérrez and Medina, to engage in direct conversation with some Bayer 04 fans away from the pitch.

Fan support, WERKSELFgo and more

As well as the discussions with the management and players, the afternoon also provided an opportunity to discuss other club-related matters. The Bayer 04 Fan Support team outlined the division of responsibilities within the department for the new season, and the Bayer 04 car-share platform WERKSELFgo was also discussed. Full details can be found HERE. Following this, the fan project and the supporters’ council also presented their work and current issues.

Over snacks and drinks in the beer garden, the participants were finally able to round off the afternoon in a relaxed atmosphere. Representatives from the various specialist departments were also on hand at various bar tables to answer individual questions and strike up conversations directly with the fans.