Daley, what would you describe as being typically Dutch?
We Dutch people are very down-to-earth and we want to be simple people without any extravagance.
What do you particularly love about your homeland?
Of course, my family and friends. All the people around my hometown of Assen are very nice and helpful. But I also love the food because it's something special: There are tourists who only come here because of that.
Which place in the Netherlands should Bayer 04 fans definitely go and visit?
There's only one answer: Amsterdam. I can only recommend anybody who hasn't been to the city to make the trip. I love the city and the people there who make our capital so special.
Do you have a secret tip for tourists?
In the summer, you definitely have to go to Giethoorn, which is known as the Venice of the North because of all its canals and waterways and it's definitely one of the most romantic places in our country. It's a small place near Drenthe and close to my birthplace Assen.
Let's move onto you and your likes. What's your favourite Dutch dish?
Even if it doesn't come from the Netherlands, I really like Erwtensoep (pea soup, ed.). But I also like eating other Dutch specialties like croquettes, bitterballs, rissoles and pancakes. That makes me feel very close to my home country.
Do you have a favourite Dutch artist?
Yes, the designer Pablo Lucker. He designed my suit for the Life after Football fashion award that I was nominated for in 2017.
Who are your 04 best Dutch players of all time?
Johann Cruyff, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten.
Is there anything about your fellow countrymen that you don't like that much?
I'll have to think about that… In my opinion, a lot of Dutch people are not patient enough whether they're in traffic, in their daily routine or wherever. For a lot of people in lots of areas things can't happen quick enough.
To finish off, can you tell us… What's the least known thing about you Dutch people?
On birthdays or other celebrations, we sit in a circle of chairs and keep hold of them for the duration of the event.
Attacking midfielder Paulina Bartz is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen for good on a permanent move to Hamburger SV in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. The 21-year-old, who was on loan to the newly promoted side in the winter, originally had a contract to 2027.
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The Bayer 04 Football School opened in 2007 – now this successful programme is getting a new name and a new logo: with immediate effect, the Bayer 04 Football School powered by BarmeniaGothaer is becoming the Bayer 04 Football Academy powered by BarmeniaGothaer.
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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 personal 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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The sustainable use of the BayArena seats removed as part of the current stadium upgrade has taken on a new dimension: Following on from numerous Bayer 04 fans receiving their ‘Undefeated Champions seats’ and various clubs and community organisations from Leverkusen and the wider region having collected the dismantled seats, Blau-Gelbe Kreuz e.V. also made their way to the BayArena recently. The German-Ukrainian aid organisation took away around 2,100 seats; in Ukraine, these will be used to upgrade the sports infrastructure of two clubs.
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