Roberto Pätzold named new head coach of Bayer 04 Women

“We were looking for a coach with experience in developing players, but also with the experience of having to achieve results at a high level. In Roberto, we have found someone who knows the balancing act between these areas. With his professional expertise, but also with his communicative personality, he fits in very well with our team,” said Achim Feifel, Bayer 04 Women sporting director. “He works very meticulously and has a clear concept of playing with an attacking approach and a high degree of variability. He also attaches great importance on the further development of individual potential.”

Bayer 04 is the first job in women's football for Pätzold, who is the father of three daughters. The sports science graduate holds a UEFA Pro Licence and most recently worked for Admira Wacker in the Austrian men's second division until November 2022. The former German Football Association (DFB) base coordinator had previously coached semi-professional club Eintracht Bamberg in 2014, then the U16s at Hamburger SV and finally the U19s at Ingolstadt from 2015 to 2021. With the latter, he also had brief spells in charge of the men's team in Bundesliga 2 in 2018 and 2021. Pätzold began his career in 2009 with the Baden Football Association, where he worked as a regional XI coach for the U19s and at the DFB base for boys and girls. This was followed by a two-year stint with the German FA.

“Women's football as a whole is developing enormously and has a high level of professionalism in all areas in Leverkusen. I'm very motivated to work with the team and the people in charge here to achieve something sustainable. Bayer 04 is one of the top places to be in Germany across all teams,” said Pätzold. He describes his own profile as a coach as: “I see myself as a development coach who has already accompanied many young players on their way into professional football and wants to develop a bold and offensive style of play with his teams. That was a common denominator in our discussions.” Looking ahead to the coming season, he added: “My ambition is to further reduce the gap between us and the big names in the league. We want to spring a surprise or two.”

Pätzold will take up his position on 1 June. It has not yet been confirmed who will join the coaching team. From 29 July, the Bayer 04 women will travel to Katowice in Poland for a week-long training camp as part of their pre-season preparations. The new season in the Google Pixel Bundesliga begins on 30 August.