“We’re very happy with the work of Jan Hoepner and Thomas Zdebel. Both with the individual work with the talents and with the development of the team,” said Thomas Eichin, head of the youth section at Bayer 04. “We have ambitious targets for the years ahead. And both will make valuable contributions.”
Jan Hoepner joined Bayer 04 in 2016. The 39-year-old was previously centre of excellence coordinator for the German Football Association (DFB) in the Middle Rhine region. Hoepner initially worked with Patrick Weiser in looking after the U17s and Thomas Zdebel arrived in the summer of 2019.
The former Poland international made 394 appearances for clubs in Germany (Rot-Weiss Essen, FC Köln, VfL Bochum, Bayer 04 (January to September 2010) and Alemannia Aachen), Belgium (Lierse SK) and Turkey (Genclerbirligi Ankara). The 47-year-old ended his playing career in 2011 and moved into coaching shortly after that. He started at SV Bergisch Gladbach. Zdebel was first the youth coach, then head of youth and, between 2015 and 2017, in charge of the senior team in the Middle Rhine League. He returned to Leverkusen in the summer of 2019 after a stint at TV Herkenrath.
Two Saturdays, one Friday and one Sunday: The dates for the Bayer 04 Women's team games on matchdays 16 to 19 have been finalised. Three of the four matches scheduled by the German Football Association (DFB) on Tuesday will be played at home at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium.
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Despite a courageous display, the Bayer 04 Women missed out on a surprise at the start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Coach Roberto Pätzold's team lost 3-0 to league leaders Bayern Munich on Monday night. An early goal from the clinical visitors, a disputed penalty and another spot-kick prevented Leverkusen, who are seventh in the table on 22 points from 14 games, from picking up a point in front of 3,011 spectators at the sold-out Ulrich Haberland Stadium.
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The Werkself rang in the Black and Red festive season with an emotional visit to Klinikum Leverkusen. Kristin Kögel, Melissa Friedrich and Louisa Remien from the Bayer 04 Women's team and Jonas Hofmann, Janis Blaswich and Niklas Lomb from the first team visited the young patients on the children's ward and, for the first time, on the ‘Zeitinsel’ children's palliative care unit. They brought a host of lovingly wrapped presents ensuring a big surprise for young and old alike.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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