The Germany keeper signed a contract to 30 June 2020, "because I feel at home here in Leverkusen. Over the past few years I've seen constant improvement, not just with my game, but in the whole team and am completely convinced that this is the right step for me," said Leno. "This club has set itself very ambitious targets and I share them too."
The sporting director Rudi Völler believes the agreement with the 24-year-old is "incredibly important. Bernd has always believed in our club – and we in him too – and we took him on as a 19-year-old from the third division to become our regular first choice keeper," declared Völler. "He's a player that wants to go places with us. So I'm very happy that we were able to extend his contract."
CEO Michael Schade also sees the agreement with Leno as "an enormously important factor in building a Werkself team for the future. Bernd is a great goalkeeper," added Schade. "For the past five years he's proved this week by week, game by game. In the truest sense of the word we have secured the services of an exceptional shot-stopper over the long term."
With this successful move in building the squad head coach Roger Schmidt has secured another key position following the contract extensions with Karim Bellarabi and Wendell: "In spite of his youth Bernd has established himself as a key player for Bayer 04, is improving year by year and deservedly a key part of the Germany senior side," said Schmidt. "He's a complete goalkeeper even if he has the potential to improve even further. When you can secure a key player like that then it's a good sign for the club and for us as a team."
After Jens Nowotny was officially named a Bayer 04 honorary captain last weekend, the long-standing Werkself player is part of the Leverkusen delegation on the trophy tour to New York City next week from 11 to 14 September. In an interview with bayer04.de, the 50-year-old talked about his expectations ahead of the trip to the metropolis on the East Coast of the USA.
Show moreThe German Football League (DFL) has confirmed the dates and kick-off times for matchdays 6 to 12 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Full details of the Bayer 04 fixtures.
Show moreMarkus Rehm, a long jumper at TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, won the gold medal for the fourth time in succession at the Paralympics on Wednesday.
Show moreThe fixture details for the second round of the DFB Pokal 2024/25 have been confirmed. The home tie for Bayer 04 against second division SV 07 Elversberg is on Tuesday, 29 October with the kick off at 18.00 CET (live on Sky). That was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday.
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