
Merle Barth joined the Bayer 04 U17 squad in 2009; the defender made her debut in the Women's Bundesliga the following season and went on to make 144 appearances. The 26-year-old earned a regular berth in the team and wore the captain's armband at the start of this campaign. "We'd like to thank Merle for the past eleven years at Leverkusen. She is an outstanding player and remained loyal to the club in good times and less good times. We wish her all the best and good health in her professional and personal future," said Linda Schöttler, section head of women's football at Bayer 04.
Lena Uebach joined the Bayer 04 Women in 2017/18 as a U17 European Champion. The 19-year-old signed for Leverkusen in the second division from fourth division Sportfreunde Siegen. After one season, she helped Leverkusen get promoted to the top flight. The striker made 58 appearances for the Black and Reds. "Lena played a big part in us getting promoted again and has matured a lot in the last three years. We are very proud of having been able to play our part in her brilliant development and we wish her all the best for the new challenge at Turbine Potsdam," said Schöttler.


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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