
Rüdiger, what does the new shirt feel like?
Vollborn: Just like it should do: absolute top quality. I also know our kit managers are very happy with the quality. And in terms of the look I’ve got to say: I really, really like this shirt. The people at JAKO have certainly put their thinking caps on, above all the designer David Blanch. I think it’s great when somebody gets so involved with our club and produce shirts like this one.
What details do you particularly like?
Vollborn: I think it’s brilliant the way the Leverkusen skyline appears on the collar. You can see the Bayer Cross, the water tower, the town hall gallery and a lot more. City, factory and club all belong together. And the collar expresses that for me. The love of detail with the stripes 72 millimetres apart reflecting the fact the Bayer Cross had a 72-metre diameter - fantastic! And then the fact the numbers on the shirt reflect the style of the 1970s club badge. Fantastic. This shirt is linked to our history and tradition. And the people at Jako have really dug deep here. Hats off to them!
What impressions did you get from your visit to Jako?
Vollborn: A great company with lots of young people full of brilliant ideas. I hope we can work with Jako over the long term. I think we can definitely help each other.
How do you think the fans will react?
Vollborn: I’m pretty sure all the shirts,including the away and third kits, will go down very well. Our fans are in for a real treat.


Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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Sofie Zdebel is up for the Goal of the Month award for February on ARD-Sportschau. Fans have until 21 March (19:00 CET) to vote for the Germany U23 international's volley to make it 2-0 in the Bayer 04 Women's derby against FC Köln (2-1).
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