"Melissa has consistently fought her way back from serious injury and is a real role model on and off the pitch. Her great loyalty to the club is impressive. We are all the more delighted that, with her vast experience, she will continue to play an important role in our team in the coming season," said Bayer 04 Women sporting director Achim Feifel. "When she recently made a return to the starting XI, she proved once again that we can rely on her at all times."
Despite suffering setbacks through a number of injury-related absences since arriving at Bayer 04 from 1. FFC Frankfurt nine years ago, Friedrich has made 102 competitive appearances (four goals). After they were relegated from the Bundesliga in 2017, she helped the Werkself achieve promotion at the first time of asking the following season. In the 2024/25 campaign, she had to make up a training deficit in the Hinrunde, but then went on to make four appearances in the Rückunde, three of them in the starting XI.
"I'm really looking forward to my tenth year at Bayer 04. It's always something special for me to play for this club, which has a special place in my heart," said Friedrich: "I'm happy that I'm fit, I want to support the team as best I can and play my part in another successful season."
Our longest-serving player is heading into her tenth season: Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed a one-year contract extension with centre-back Melissa Friedrich. The 28-year-old joined the Werkself in 2016.
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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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Jeremie Frimpong bids farewell after four and a half years full of energy, emotion and success. Whether that was on the pitch, with pace, goals and trophies – or off it with his infectious laughter and his big heart: Jerry has definitely left his mark on Leverkusen. Thank you for everything!
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Jeremie Frimpong is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join Liverpool. The champions of England made use of the release clause in the winger's contract. The Netherlands international Frimpong, signed from Celtic in the winter of 2021, has signed a long-term deal at Liverpool.
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