Kurtekotten Academy receives certificate and top assessment

“It’s a great evaluation of our work,” said Thomas Eichin, youth director at Bayer 04, in assessing the report from Audit Company DQS. “It demonstrates that the members of staff and colleagues have got a lot right at Kurtekotten in the past.”

Bayer 04 are particularly proud of the concept of the host family in the area of child protection. The club from Leverkusen were the first and, to this day, are the only Bundesliga side to rely solely on this form of accommodation. “This individual care is something very special and, in our opinion, very important for the development of young players who are sometimes a long, long way from home,” said Frank Ditgens, head of education at Bayer 04.

The Audit Company DQS specialises in audits and the certification of management systems and processes. In addition to the refurbishment of the bistro at Kurtekotten in Black and Red and new additions to the clubhouse, special attention was paid to the cooperation between the host families, the parents and Bayer 04. The focus was on the appreciation and transparency of the parties with constant attention to the protection and personal development of the young players who are trained and educated at Kurtekotten.

Eichin: “Very well-conceived and substantial”

“We work out individual plans with each player for their playing and personal development here with us. Our educational team have also created structures over the years for youth players from abroad to enable maximum integration. It’s very well-conceived and substantial,” explained Eichin.

Ditgens is also proud of the certificate and the performance of the club: “The consistently top ratings and the results clearly reflect our holistic education system as well as our individual accommodation of our youth players with host families.”

The assessment of the academy was made online via video chat due to the coronavirus pandemic.