"The past few weeks have been very intense for me personally and have shown me once again how fast-paced and demanding football is," explained Repohl. "An injury can change everything in a very short time – and that's part and parcel of this sport. However, my decision to end my career in the summer was made independently of the current situation. It has been developing over a long period of time and is based on several personal considerations. Of course, I had imagined the last few months of my career differently. I wanted to play as many games as possible and make my contribution on the pitch. At the same time, I know that there is life after football. In view of my body, this step is logical and the right one. I am now going into rehab with full energy and concentration in order to get fit for the final stages of the season. The goal is to return to the pitch and end my career there."
"When Friederike came to us from Wolfsburg, we couldn't have predicted that she would define an era over years," said Achim Feifel, Bayer 04 Women sporting director. "Thanks to her strong mentality, she quickly took on an important role in the team, which eventually led her to the captaincy. She's played a big part in our development with her very good and steady performances. We were aware that she'd been thinking for a long time about the right time to begin a new chapter in her life. We really hope that Friederike can make one last comeback on the pitch for us, look forward to the remaining months and also wish her nothing but the best for the future."
The Bielefeld native has made 83 appearances in all competitions for the Werkself since her move from VfL Wolfsburg four and a half years ago. Including her previous clubs Herforder SV, TSG Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg, she's made a total of 146 Bundesliga appearances. The former Germany youth international won the DFB Cup with Wolfsburg in 2020 and 2021. In Leverkusen, Repohl established herself as first-choice goalkeeper in early 2022 and has retained that status ever since. At the start of this month, she sustained a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in her right knee in the 1-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt and is set to be out for at least the next two months.
The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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When Exequiel Palacios moved from the Argentinian club River Plate to Bayer Leverkusen on 1 January 2020, the then 21-year-old could not have imagined just how successful the next six and a half years would be for him. Pala, as he is known, had already won the Copa Libertadores – the most prestigious competition in South American club football – with River Plate. But there were still so many more trophies to come.
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To mark Exequiel Palacios’s departure, we’ve put together a compilation of the midfielder’s finest and most important goals from his six-and-a-half years at the club.
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