Back
7.01.2025Veterans

Debut for Lars Bender: Veterans in action twice at start of the year

The Bayer 04 Veterans team kick-off 2025 with two top-class tournaments. First, the team are set to take part in the Matthäi Cup in Frankfurt and then it's off to Regensburg for the ‘Bananenflanker-Budenzauber’, South Germany's biggest indoor tournament for veterans teams. Bayer 04 honorary captain Lars Bender is set to make his debut for the Leverkusen Veterans.
Lars Bender

The Veterans will be in action on 8 January from 18.00 CET in the Matthäi Cup in Frankfurt. In the second year of the indoor tournament started in 2024, the Black and Reds face VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Group A. Werder Bremen, Mainz 05 and Kickers Offenbach are in Group B. Within the groups, each team plays each other with the first two teams going through to the semi-finals. The matches will be played at the Süwag Energie Arena in Frankfurt and the tournament will be broadcast live on DF 1.

The Bayer 04 squad in Frankfurt: Dominik Poremba and Daniel Galic (both goalkeepers), Stefan Kießling, Gonzalo Castro, Assimiou Toure, Carsten Baumann, Philipp Wollscheid, Thorsten Judt, Albert Bunjaku, Anel Dzaka, Mario Schwarz, Ioannis Masmanidis, Sascha Jagusch, Giuseppe Spitali and Aziz Bouhaddouz

with Lars BEnder in Regensburg

The Leverkusen Veterans will then play in the Bananenflanker-Budenzauber tournament in Regensburg on 11 January. In South Germany's biggest indoor tournament for veterans teams, Bayer 04 will play FC Nürnberg (tournament winners in 2024), TSV 1860 Munich (runners-up in 2024), SpVgg Greuther Fürth, SSV Jahn Regensburg, SpVgg Unterhaching, the Bananenflanker Legends and the Wintec Autoglas & Balu4Kids Allstars. Bayer 04 honorary captain Lars Bender will be in the Leverkusen Veterans squad for the first time. The tournament will be broadcast HERE as a live stream.

The Bayer 04 squad in Regensburg: Dominik Poremba and Daniel Galic (both goalkeepers), Lars Bender, Jörg Reeb, Mike Rietpietsch, Assimiou Toure, Carsten Baumann, Thorsten Judt, Anel Dzaka, Mario Schwarz, Ioannis Masmanidis, Giuseppe Spitali, Sahin Sezer, Sebastian Hirsch

Related News

Manfred Manglitz
Bayer 04 - 16.07.2026

Bayer 04 mourn the loss of Manfred Manglitz

Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.

Show more
Niederländisches Duo Brandau und Loonen: „Konkurrenzkampf tut uns sehr gut“
Werkself-TV - 16.07.2026

Dutch duo Brandau and Loonen: ‘Competition is really good for us’

Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.

Show more
Frauen-Bundesliga-Spielplan 2026/27
Women - 16.07.2026

Women’s Bundesliga: Season opener in Leipzig, season finale against Mainz

The Werkself fixture list for the 2026/27 season in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga has been finalised. To kick off the season, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team travel to RB Leipzig between 21 and 24 August. The fixtures were announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday morning. The season will conclude with a home match on 23 May 2027 against newly promoted side Mainz 05.

Show more
Council votes against the planning resolution for the Bayer 04 Campus in Monheim
Bayer 04 - 15.07.2026

Council votes against the planning resolution for the Bayer 04 Campus in Monheim: “We will remain determined”

On Wednesday evening, Monheim City Council voted against a planning resolution for the Bayer 04 Campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße in Monheim in a secret ballot, with 19 votes in favour, 25 against and one abstention. The legal status of the project therefore remains unchanged.

Show more