Bayer 04 flags, balloons in black, red and gold and a big LED screen with images of the Werkself players: What a welcome. All the players, head coach Xabi Alonso and the club management members Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes were called onto the stage individually and then introduced with the listing of their previous sporting achievements. The Bayer AG members of staff, all wearing Bayer 04 shirts, greeted the visitors from Leverkusen with loud applause.
Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, spoke on stage to the employees at the Bayer site: "We are happy to be guests in a football crazy city like St. Louis. We also congratulate you for the club from this city playing in the MLS next year. Our club Bayer 04 belongs to Bayer AG, you work for Bayer – to that extent it's a perfect match." In response to the question of who would come to the match at the newly built CITYPARK Stadium, everybody raised their hands. Carro: “We look forward to welcoming you to the game on Wednesday."
Fernando Carro presented a gift to Jackie Applegate, CEO Crop Science North America: a shirt made up in two halves of the white jersey of St. Louis CITY SC and the red home shirt of Bayer 04.
Jackie Applegate: "It's a great day for Bayer Crop Science North America. We are happy to welcome Bayer 04 here to us in St Louis. Bayer AG has succeeded in connecting our heartland to Germany. We can't wait for the match on Wednesday." For Applegate it will not be the first Werkself match she has seen live: The Bayer manager, who worked in Germany for Bayer AG for three years, has been a member of the Bayer 04 fan club 'Alte Hasen' since 1998.
At the end of the event, the employees had plenty of time to get autographs and take selfies with the players, coaches and management.
Bayer 04 host Augsburg at the BayArena this Saturday for Matchday 31 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game against the 10th-placed Bavarians, including the ‘Finally Red’ fan campaign.
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Augsburg have enjoyed an excellent run of form this year and come to the BayArena on Saturday (kick-off: 3.30pm CEST) full of confidence as they take on the Werkself. Jess Thorup’s team boast one of the meanest defences in the Bundesliga and harbour real hope of securing European qualification this season. Here’s all you need to know about our next opponents.
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Bayer 04 Women won 3-1 away at Turbine Potsdam on Friday night to maintain their chances of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Delice Boboy, Cornelia Kramer and Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir struck for the Werkself at the Google Pixel Bundesliga’s bottom club, whose relegation was confirmed with the result. Leverkusen’s 12th win of the campaign took them up to 40 points.
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