
Isabel Kerschowski, who played for Bayer 04 from 2012 to 2014 and returned to Leverkusen in 2018 after four years at VfL Wolfsburg, has agreed a year’s extension at Bayer 04. The 32-year-old fought her way back from a torn cruciate injury at the start of last season and was able to make her comeback after a long injury lay-off at the end of the first half of this campaign.
“I really feel at home here and my body’s telling me I’m fit again after my lengthy injury. I want to help the team out with my experience for another year so we can establish ourselves in the Bundesliga. I’m really happy with the vote of confidence from the management and being able to play at Bayer 04 for another season,” said Kerschowski.
Achim Feifel values the “great experience, dynamism and winning mentality,” that the Potsdam-born player brings to the team. “That’s why Isy is important for the development of our team. She is very versatile in the wing positions. She has battled her way back from her serious injury through great willpower and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with her.”
Henrike Sahlmann and Juliane Wirtz have both been awarded two-year contracts. Sahlmann, signed from league rivals SGS Essen in the summer of 2017, has made 17 appearances this season. Feifel on the 23-year-old defender: “We’re very happy with Henrike’s decision to extend her contract. She’s a very reliable, ambitious and eager-to-learn player who very much identifies with Bayer 04 and our team.”
Juliane Wirtz joined the Bayer 04 Women’s team as a talented 16-year-old from FC Köln in 2018/19 and is now an established first-team regular. The Germany U19 international has played 27 games in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga and five DFB Cup ties for Bayer 04. “Juliane has developed into a very important player in our team. We’re fully convinced of her potential. She is a footballer through and through and we’re looking forward to another two years,” said Feifel about the 18-year-old defender.

Ticket sales for another Bayer 04 Women's home game have begun. Fans can now purchase tickets for the match against SGS Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Saturday, 22 November. The latest information at a glance.
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It took 120 minutes, but once again Bayer 04 produced a late goal to win their DFB Pokal second-round tie away at Paderborn on Wednesday. “Same as always” was the line in Bild in homage to the 2023/24 double-winning season. With Jeanuel Belocian making his first start in over a year and Ibrahim Maza netting his first Werkself goal to secure a place in the last 16, Jonas Hofmann is eager to “take the positive feeling” into the next round.
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A DFB Pokal thriller that had it all - including a positive outcome from a Bayer 04 perspective. After a goalless and uneventful first half, the second round tie at SC Paderborn 07 really took off: Following a red card for the second division side, Grimaldo scored to give Bayer 04 a 1-0 lead but Paderborn levelled before the end of normal time. The home side then turned the game round at 2-1 in extra time, before Quansah, Maza and Garcia scored for the Werkself to make it 4-2 to seal a place in the Round of 16.
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SC Paderborn 07, the second-placed team in Bundesliga 2, face the Werkself in the second round of the DFB Pokal. Although Paderborn have won six games in a row, Bayer 04 have never lost to SCP. That will hopefully continue on Wednesday, 29 October (kick-off: 18:00 CET) with Patrick Ittrich the man with the whistle. The experienced referee will have to make do without the support of VAR at the Home Deluxe Arena. Read on for further information on tonight’s game in the matchday news.
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