
Captain Lars Bender and Stefan Kießling dropped in for 45 minutes to join the fans in getting in the mood for the cup semi-final against Bayern Munich. In addition, the two key players and fan favourites took part in a Q&A session in a relaxed atmosphere. The areas covered included the season to date and the forthcoming challenges in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup.
Even though some Black and Red supporters dared to dream of going to Berlin: Lars and Kies remained level-headed. "We'll do well to take it step-by-step. Bayern will present a really tough challenge that we want to overcome. It will be difficult but we'll give all we've got," promised the skipper. And Kies added: "We're really looking forward to a great night in the cup on Tuesday and we're relying on your full support. We want to work together to win it for us all."

In glorious sunshine and temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius, the Bayer 04 Women have begun their preparations for the new season. With a relaxed first session at the Kurtekotten training centre, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team became the first Bundesliga side to resume training after a 37-day break.
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Black and Red stand out. Under the slogan ‘Diversity under the Cross’, Bayer 04 took part in Pride on the Rhine at the weekend alongside the queer fan club “Bayer 04 Junxx”. The club mascot, Brian the Lion, and several members of staff were also in attendance, championing diversity and solidarity.
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Centre-back Melissa Friedrich is set to remain at Bayer 04 for another year. The longest-serving player in the squad, who joined the club in 2016, has extended her contract to 2027.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Portugal U21 international Afonso Moreira. The 21-year-old winger joins the club from French top-flight side Olympique Lyon on a contract to 30 June 2031. In France last year, the left-winger made 37 appearances in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the UEFA Europa League, scoring a total of eight goals and providing eleven assists.
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