On 18 May 1988, they all took part in the first title won by Bayer 04 on that legendary night at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium with the 'Miracle of Leverkusen' in the return leg of the final against Espanyol. Together with around 300 fans, the players from back then not only recalled the memorable fightback after being 3-0 down in the first leg and the dramatic penalty shootout in the return leg but also reviewed the whole UEFA Cup season. Austria Vienna, FC Toulouse, Feyenoord, FC Barcelona, Werder Bremen and finally Espanyol in the two-legged final– were the opponents in the competition. 13 of the UEFA Cup winners of 1988 came together to review that special season in a relaxed atmosphere. Marcus Feinbier, Florian Hinterberger, Christian Schreier, Falko Götz, Christian Hausmann, Andrzej Buncol, Wolfgang Rolff, Erich Seckler, Knut Reinhardt, Bernd Dreher and Rüdiger Vollborn took part along with assistant coach Gerd Kentschke and the then general manager Michael Meier.
Vollborn, one of the Bayer 04 fan liaison team and a proud cup winner, organised the meeting together with Dirk Dreher, the manager of the Veterans team. The event in the West stand at the BayArena was compered by stadium announcer Tobias Ufer who invited the heroes of yesteryear up to the stage for interview one at a time. "We watched video highlights of all the games with the fans and then spoke about them in detail with one or two anecdotes exchanged," said Rüdiger Vollborn. "It was a wonderful night." Many of the fans present took the opportunity to have themselves photographed with the UEFA Cup or to buy the white special kit commemorating the 1998 triumph, which the Werkself players wore in the last Bundesliga away game of the season at Werder Bremen.
In fact, 18 May is not the only time this year that former winners will meet up. "We've planned another big meeting in September or October where we'll celebrate with the 1988 UEFA Cup winners as well as the DFB Cup winners of 1993. Then, Tita and Bum-kun Cha, who weren't here this time, will be at the event," said Vollborn. An event with fans is also planned for 12 June to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the DFB Cup win. Bayer 04 will definitely not fail to celebrate these events this year.
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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