Professionals against amateurs: 33 players from 12 Leverkusen clubs compete with Bayer 04 Bundesliga players for a good cause. Weekend after weekend, they face each other across the city in the battle for points. Now they are united against the Werkself. Dirk Dreher, general manager of the Veterans team at the Werkself, has put the team together in discussion with the coaches of the different clubs.
As a player, he was promoted to the Bundesliga with the Werkself in 1979 and, after ending his playing career, he was a member of the coaching staff at Bayer 04 for decades: Club legend Peter Hermann will coach the city team along with his ‘assistant’ Stefan Mueller (SV Schlebusch). In an interview with bayer04.de, the 69-year-old talks about his great motivation to take on this challenge on Wednesday night.
Peter, the charity match between the Werkself and the Leverkusen city team is happening in a few days. You'll be there looking after the city eleven. How did that come about?
Hermann: Bayer 04 asked me if I wanted to take part. Of course, I said yes straight away when the request came. I see this event as a very good thing and I also know a lot of people who unfortunately were and are affected directly by the flooding in the summer.
Your squad is made up of a total of 33 amateur players from different clubs in Leverkusen. How was the squad put together?
Hermann: Dirk Dreher mainly looked after that as he has good contact with the coaches and management of the clubs in Leverkusen. But we have been in close contact with each other for several weeks and we will prepare the lads the game as best as we can.
What can the players for the city team expect on Wednesday?
Hermann: As officials we will meet them in good time, get to know each other and have a calm chat. The lads can get changed in the away dressing room at the BayArena where Bundesliga stars normally prepare for matches. But the most important thing on the night will be that everybody involved really enjoys the game and that we end up with a big donation.
These players face the Werkself: Tim Breddemann, Marcel Schulz, Mustafa Uzun, Christoph Geschonnek, David Görgens (all SV Schlebusch), Patrick Paffrath, Kevin Luginger, Aristote Mambasa (all FC Leverkusen), Yasin Yüksel, Elfat Siani, Sefa Ocakli (all Genclerbirligi Opladen), Frederik Kosegarten, Simon Wirtz, Michael Mollek (all BV Bergisch Neukirchen), Christoph Beilmann, Rene Rekus, Lukas Riedel (all SV Bergfried Leverkusen), Daniel Fischermann, Bastian Prensema, Julian Kwoczalla (all SC Hitdorf), Nicola Morano, Filippo Ciulla, Adriano Amico (all SC Leverkusen), Enrico Albanese, Marcel Maier (both SSV Lützenkirchen), Cedric Engelen, Wissam Arabi (both ESV SW Opladen), Daniele Piras, Basti Labusga (both Roland Bürrig), Nico Schell, Fabio Arnone (both SSV Alkenrath), Matthias Senn, Fabian Krzyscin (both TuS Quettingen).
The team behind the team: Dirk Dreher (general manager), Peter Hermann (coach), Stefan Müller (assistant coach/SV Schlebusch), Frank Linde (support), Christian Hausmann (support).
The match will be divided into thirds. During the first break in the game, there will be the obligatory presentation of a cheque. This will be performed by the Bayer 04 managing directors Fernando Carro and Rudi Völler along with Meinolf Sprink, fan and community director. On behalf of the City of Leverkusen, the mayor Uwe Richrath and and city manager Marc Adomat will be at the match along with Manuel Bast, the director of the Leverkusen Community Foundation.
The city players will wear a kit developed especially for this match in the city colours of green and white provided by TIPWIN as the shirt partner for the night. Bayer Gastro will look after the catering requirements on the night..
Anybody unable to make the match who wants to support the victims of the flood disaster in Leverkusen and surrounding areas can make a donation to the following account of the Leverkusen Community Foundation:
Leverkusen hilft: Spendenkonto
DE40 3755 1440 0100 1262 26
Do you want to be at the charity match? Tickets are available from the Bayer 04 online ticket shop HERE. Tickets cost five euros. Here's to a successful night.
With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
Show more
A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
Show more
Following Patrik Schick, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza and Kerim Alajbegovic earlier this week, the next World Cup participant is back on the training ground in Leverkusen: On Thursday 30 July, Malik Tillman rejoined the squad, completing his first training session under head coach Carles Martínez.
Show more
