At 30 years old, the Bayer 04 Lions Club is the oldest kids' club in the Bundesliga and can look back on three decades full of excitement, experiences and bright-eyed children. Since 1995, the Lions Club has been an integral part of the Bayer 04 family, offering the youngest fans their own platform to experience the Werkself up close.
Members benefit from various privileges and can take part in a range of activities, walk out with the players or cheer on the Werkself directly in the stadium.
In Lukas Hradecky – who moved to AS Monaco in the summer – the Lions Club can look back on a patron who was a true role model for the children both on and off the pitch. An idol that the youngest fans could look up to. With his friendly, down-to-earth manner, he will remain unforgettable in this role. He was the first Lions Club patron to celebrate a league and cup double together with his ‘Lions’ - an experience that many children will remember forever.
Dear Lukas, thank you for your service, your approachability to the children and your great commitment to the Lions Club!
Mark Flekken, also a goalkeeper, is taking over as patron, following in the footsteps of numerous well-known predecessors such as René Adler, Stefan Kießling, Lars Bender and Julian Brandt. The Dutchman stands for values such as team spirit, down-to-earthness and reliability. These qualities perfectly reflect the spirit of the Lions Club and make him an ideal patron. Flekken is himself a family man, which is another reason why he is the right person for the role. The Lions Club is delighted to officially introduce him during the Members' Matchday against 1. FC Heidenheim 1846.
The patron of the Lions Club acts as an ambassador for Bayer 04's youngest fans. He stands for closeness, openness and enthusiasm. His tasks include accompanying events and attending activities such as the Christmas party, Easter egg hunt and readings. In addition, he conveys the club's core values to the children and serves as a positive role model. With his open manner and positive attitude, Flekken will quickly fill this role with life and bring a lot of joy to the kids.
About the Lions Club:
The Lions Club has had more than 70,000 members over the past 30 years. Currently membership stands at almost 7,500 children, making the Lions Club one of the largest youth clubs in the Bundesliga. 765 delighted young fans have already been allowed to walk out hand-in-hand with the Werkself first-team players. During the tenure of nine patrons to date (Bernd Leno, Julian Brandt, Kai Havertz, Lars Bender, Stefan Kießling, Dominik Kohr, René Adler, Lukas Hradecky and Mark Flekken), the Lions Club has also loudly supported Werkself away from home. Since 2007, the kids have already made more than 50 trips to other stadiums to cheer on their idols.
In addition to its existing events, the Lions Club plans to further expand its presence and create new, exclusive promotions and modern offerings for home and away games – and beyond. After 30 years full of history and enthusiasm, the Lions Club continues to evolve and remains a central part of the Bayer 04 family.
Today sees Bayer 04 go head-to-head with their next direct rivals in the race for Champions League qualification (kick-off 15:30 CEST). Opponents Stuttgart are currently fifth in the table, level on points with the Werkself but one place below them due to a three-goal inferior goal difference. The Black and Reds' record at Bad Cannstatt tells a clearer story: they've not lost at VfB for over 16 years. One important factor in securing what would be three crucial points away from home is Leverkusen's strength on the counter-attack. Whilst Stuttgart are also extremely dangerous going forward, they will be without their captain. Today’s matchday news.
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Another showdown in the race for the Champions League places takes place in Swabia: on Saturday 9 May (kick-off 15:30 CEST), the Werkself visit VfB Stuttgart, who are only behind on goal difference. In his pre-match press conference, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about confidence, excitement and mentality.
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Reinforcement in attack: Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured the transfer of striker Maja Sternad from Bundesliga rivals SV Werder Bremen. The 22-year-old has signed a contract until 30 June 2028.
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It's a thrilling situation: as the season draws to a close, Stuttgart and Bayer 04 are heading into the home stretch almost neck and neck. After 32 games, with 17 wins, seven draws and eight defeats each, both teams are on 58 points. Even in terms of goals scored, VfB and the Werkself are level on 66. The Black and Reds have conceded just three fewer goals (43) than their rivals (46), which is why they sit one place behind fourth-placed Leverkusen. This Saturday, 9 May (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), the two teams go head to head at the MHP Arena in Stuttgart. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with full-back Arthur ahead of schedule. The Werkself have agreed a new deal with the Brazilian to 30 June 2031. The 23-year-old was previously under contract to the summer of 2028.
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