“Rafaela settled in without any teething problems during the Rückrunde last term and was a very reliable presence for us,” said Achim Feifel, sporting director of the Bayer 04 Women’s team: “She is a highly professional athlete who is constantly striving to improve and, in the long term, aims to get back in contention for the senior national team. With these high standards she sets for herself, she is a major asset to us both in sporting terms and in terms of her mentality. Thanks to her loan move, we are very well-positioned in the goalkeeping department for the coming season.”
Following her move from the English FA Women’s Super League (WSL), Borggräfe made ten Bundesliga appearances for Bayer 04 in the Rückrunde. Before that, she played for SC Freiburg from 2013 to 2025 before moving on to Liverpool. The 25-year-old progressed through all the youth teams at the German Football Association (DFB) up to the U23s and was first called up to the senior national team in December 2024.
“The decision to stay at Bayer 04 for another year was an easy one for me because I feel very much at home here, both on and off the pitch, and I’ve been able to develop well over the past few months,” said Borggräfe: “In the new season, I want to take on even more responsibility, deliver consistently good performances and achieve our goals with the team.”
Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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