Renno started his playing career at VfB 03 Bielefeld and went on to play in goal for Arminia Bielefeld for many years. He joined Leverkusen in the 1963/64 season and was quickly established as the number one keeper. In the team, that became champions of the second-tier Regional League West under coach Theo Kirchberg in 1968, Renno was captain but he only played in two games against Rot-Weiß Oberhausen and Westfalia Herne as the number two to Hans Benzler.
However, in that season where Bayer 04 just missed out in the knockout rounds for promotion to the Bundesliga to Kickers Offenbach was one of the best memories for Renno. "There was a really special team spirit in the group which kept us going alongside all the quality on the pitch," he later said looking back at that time.
Renno ended his playing career in 1969 after making 81 Regional League appearances for the Werkself and he then went on to take charge of the Bayer 04 U19 team. In the 1973/74 season he took charge of the first team after four matchdays in place of Gero Bisanz with the club in the fifth tier Middle Rhine League. That means Friedhelm Renno is one of the men in the history of Bayer 04 who have been with the Werkself both as a player and as a coach alongside Theo Kirchberg, Gerd Kentschke, Jürgen Gelsdorf, Peter Hermann, Rudi Völler, Thomas Hörster, Sami Hyypiä and Heiko Herrlich.
Friedhelm Renno remained committed to his club to the end. Whether meeting with former teammates from the 1960s in the TSV sports bar Gäßler or, above all, as a representative of the football section on the elders council of the whole club. Bayer 04 was very close to his heart. He also saw himself as a guardian of the club's history as a passionate collector of newspaper articles and photos from the past. Renno organised anniversary events, special seats for former players at the BayArena and he was a regular at home games for many years. "He was the good soul of our old gentleman," said goalkeeping legend Rüdiger Vollborn.
Friedhelm Renno was unable to take part in the last meeting of the 1968 championship winning side in October of last year at the Wolfsburg match due to illness. He passed away yesterday at the age of 82. Bayer 04 pay tribute to him.
A training course for external coaches covering age groups U8 to U13 on 'Effective coaching in junior football' was held at the BayArena this week. The course, with this initial event ahead of a series of training units, was aimed at coaches and sporting management of clubs in the area of Leverkusen. It was very well received.
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To gain access to the stadium as a member of the media on Werkself home matchdays you need accreditation from Bayer 04. From now, you can submit the application for accreditation exclusively via our online registration form at bayer04.de.
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Bayer 04 are away to Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 of the 2024/25 DFB Pokal. The match is on Tuesday, 3 December (kick-off: 20.45 CET) at the Allianz Arena. Here is the ticket information.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by sporting managing director Simon Rolfes, landed in São Paulo on Tuesday, 12 November. Of course, safe and sound in their luggage: the Meisterschale, the DFB Pokal trophy and the 2024 Supercup. The group had a number of events in the vibrant city with a population of 12 million.
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In keeping with the Trophy Tour in Brazil starting today, Bayer04.de looks back at the long-standing link between the Werkself and Brazilian players. The list is long as well as impressive. 24 Brazilian players have worn the Bayer 04 Leverkusen jersey from 1987 to the present day. Tita was the first under the Bayer Cross having come to Germany after ten years at top Brazilian clubs Vasco da Gama, Flamengo Rio de Janeiro and Gremio Porto Alegre. He played a crucial part in the Werkself winning their first major trophy in that season: the UEFA Cup in 1988.
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