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.
Centre-back Melissa Friedrich is set to remain at Bayer 04 for another year. The longest-serving player in the squad, who joined the club in 2016, has extended her contract to 2027.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Portugal U21 international Afonso Moreira. The 21-year-old winger joins the club from French top-flight side Olympique Lyon on a contract to 30 June 2031. In France last year, the left-winger made 37 appearances in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the UEFA Europa League, scoring a total of eight goals and providing eleven assists.
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A warm welcome to Leverkusen, Afonso Moreira! Bayer 04 have signed the 21-year-old Portuguese player from the top-flight French club Lyon. The left-winger has signed a contract at Leverkusen to 30 June 2031. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing.
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From his arrival at the airport, the medical and contract signing, right through to photo shoots, his very own trading card and his first interview at the BayArena: Werkself TV followed new signing Afonso Moreira up close on his first day in Leverkusen. In the interview, the 21-year-old Portuguese left-winger, who has joined the Werkself from Lyon, talks about his excitement ahead of joining Bayer 04 and the Bundesliga, as well as his conversation with head coach Carles Martínez. Moreira also reveals the secret behind his iconic goal celebration – which he intends to perform “as often as possible” at the BayArena next season...
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