The two players from Rosenheim, Lars and Sven Bender announced at the end of last year that they were ending their playing careers in the summer of 2021. Lars joined Leverkusen in 2009 from 1860 Munich and was the Werkself captain from 2015 to the start of the current campaign. His twin brother Sven signed for Leverkusen from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and, like his brother, he assumed an important leadership role on the pitch.
Now it’s time to say Thank you. We are therefore collating your messages, images and memories of the Bender brothers. At the final Bundesliga home game of the season against Union Berlin on Saturday, 15 May (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), we will show your messages to Lars and/or Sven Bender at the BayArena.
This is how it works: Enter your contribution on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram, marked Bayer 04 and use the hashtags #DankeLars and/or #DankeSven.
Let’s make the last home game for Lars and Sven unforgettable.
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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