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.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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