The match at the 'Auf der Emma' sports ground in Neitersen not only provided sporting highlights but also something much more important: A considerable financial donation that will benefit people affected by the flood disaster in the Rhineland Palatinate thanks to the 'Fußball hilft' foundation of the Rhineland Football Association.
Before kick-off in front of around 500 spectators, those present paid respect with a minute’s silence to the victims of the floods as well as the explosion at a hazardous waste incineration plant in Leverkusen on Tuesday morning.
The Bayer 04 side on this special day included former players Jens Nowotny, Falko Götz and Hanno Balitsch. Watching on from the sidelines were former Leverkusen players including Rüdiger Vollborn, Ulf Kirsten and Matthias Brücken.
Nenad Lazarevic put the Veterans team in front but the Sportfreunde level before half-time. In the second half, goals from Hanno Balitsch and Assimiou Toure secured the final score of 3-1. "The lads did well and produced a performance just like our hosts," declared Dick Dreher, general manager of the Bayer 04 Veterans team. "It was much more important for us on this evening that a decent donation was raised."
Bayer 04 group in Neitersen:
Players: Daniel Galic (goalkeeper), Nenad Lazarevic, Assimiou Toure, Carsten Baumann, Jens Nowotny, Ferhat Kiskanc, Michael Wagner, Falko Götz, Zülfi Simsek, Thorsten Judt, Danny Thönes, Christoph Chylla, Hanno Balitsch, Roman Klossek, Konrad Czarnetzki
Officials: Dirk Dreher (general manager), Gerhard Kentschke, Jürgen Gelsdorf (coaches), Christian Hausmann (assistant coach), Heinz Pier, Wilfried Krudewig, Olli Collette, Helmut Becker (all support staff)
Guests: Ulf Kirsten, Thorsten Wörsdörfer, Matthias Brücken, Wilfried Gässler, Peter Surbach, Rüdiger Vollborn, Walter Posner, Manfred Vetter, Jörg Volkmar
Once again, well over 100 Werkself fans were delighted to receive an invitation from the club’s record appearance-maker, Rüdiger Vollborn, to the sold-out Schwadbud at the BayArena. This time, the supporters listened as the club historian provided fascinating, exclusive insights into the period from Bayer 04 being founded in 1904 to the club’s promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979. A journey through time is also planned for the upcoming ‘Rudi lädt ein’ event in early November – this time focusing on the years of the Nazi regime.
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Happy children’s faces at the SSV Lützenkirchen training ground: For the 25th time, the Birkenberg soccer school – organised by SportBund Leverkusen – offered participating youngsters an exciting holiday activity. Meeting a Bayer 04 player has now become a cherished tradition. This time, Ibrahim Maza visited the 150 children and spoke to them about his World Cup experiences, amongst other things. “It’s always lovely to see the children’s enthusiasm for football,” said the 20-year-old, after bringing a sparkle to many eyes with selfies and autographs.
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One day after the successful DFB Pokal first round tie at SV Wehen Wiesbaden (4–0), the mood was understandably really good: Over 400 Bayer 04 supporters gathered on Sunday, 23 August, for the annual fan club meet-up at the BayArena and got in the mood for the new season through direct and informal discussions with Bayer 04 management, head coach Carles Martínez and Werkself players.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 2-0 win at RB Leipzig on the 1st matchday of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga 2026/27.
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