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“We’re preparing with the same respect as we do against every other opponent and want to end the season with a positive feeling. That’s our goal,” Alonso stated on Friday afternoon.
The final game of the season is a crucial one for Mainz, who are enjoying the second-best campaign in their Bundesliga history. They come into the weekend in sixth place and in need of a win that would all but assure them a spot in the UEFA Conference League and a first continental qualification since 2016. “Mainz are having a good season. They’re a good team and have enjoyed a positive development. We’re expecting a hard game. We’ll give our all,” the Spaniard added.
Bayer 04 also have an objective of their own as they look to make it two full seasons without a defeat on the road in the Bundesliga and set a new league record of 34 away games unbeaten. “We always fight to win as many points as possible. It’d be very nice to reach that number,” Alonso stated.
The 43-year-old also used the press conference to look back on his nearly three years with the club. “The most important thing in my time here was always the belief that we could achieve our goals. We were able to take the team and also the club to a new level. All my players have developed excellently. I always really enjoyed it here – the work and life with my family. I’ll really miss it here. Bayer 04 will always stay in my heart.”
He also offered a final review on the season: “The toughest thing was to manage expectations. That was very challenging. We had a lot of draws this season, but the setbacks were also normal. My greatest fear after the success of last season was a big drop-off. That didn’t happen. It was a good season on the whole.”
Asked about the U19’s Bundesliga final against Köln at the BayArena this Sunday, Alonso said: “We’ll obviously be following that. The semi-final was very exciting. There are a lot of top young players in the U19s. Some of them have already trained with us before. It’s a sign of the good youth work being done at this club. Sergi [Runge] is a good coach and has a good connection with the players. It’ll be a great experience for them. They should enjoy it, ideally with a win.”
Over 20,000 tickets have already been sold for the final. You can still get yours HERE.
Alonso and his team can look forward to the support of 3,500 fans from Leverkusen in Mainz.
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 personalised 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…
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To all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.
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The Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
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It is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.
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Welcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.
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