Back
1.10.2023Bayer 04

Match of the month: 25 years ago – comeback in Frankfurt

Bayer 04 Leverkusen travel to newly promoted Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday eight in the 1998/99 season. The Werkself are third in the table with 12 points albeit with a four and seven point gap to the two Munich clubs Bayern and 1860 in first and second place. The start of the season is not seen as successful in spite of the high position. So three points are almost a must at Frankfurt.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

The Werkself have a miserable first half. Without taking on the opponents, with lots of mistakes both in defence and in attack. Poor passing, bad to non-existent challenges. The Frankfurt team are deservedly 2-0 up at half-time with goals from the Chinese player Chen Yang and Alexander Schur. The Bayer 04 team go into the dressing room depressed and disappointed and they sit on the benches in silence.

The dressing room door is suddenly ripped open and an enraged Reiner ‘Calli’ Calmund comes in, he kicks a metal case across the room and issues a number of choice words. He shouts at the team for a minute, turns round and slams the door as he leaves. Coach Christoph Daum quietly looks into the eyes of his players and says: "That was the emotional reaction to our first half. Now we'll look at the rational side."

He puts Jens Nowotny in a back three with Robert Kovac and Markus Happe. He demands man-to-man marking in the first 15 minutes of the second half to finally be able to make challenges and he calls for a more aggressive approach. Ulf Kirsten pulls a goal back on 54 minutes. Bayer 04 don't give Eintracht Frankfurt an inch. Attack after attack rolls towards the Eintracht goal. Christoph Daum brings on Niko Kovac in place of his brother Robert on 73 minutes to turn the back three into a back two and thereby have an extra player in midfield.

The German Croat scores the equaliser two minutes later but that is not enough for Bayer 04. Thomas Reichenberger comes on in place of Paulo Rink on 79 minutes and he scores with a tap-in on 85 minutes with the winning goal to make it 3-2 to Bayer 04. In response to the question of what he said to the team in the dressing room, Reiner Calmund answers: "I politely asked them to run a bit more."

Related News

Andrzej Buncol wird 65 | Geburtstagskind des Monats September
Bayer 04 - 01.09.2024

Birthday boy of the month I: Andrzej Buncol turns 65

Andrzej Buncol was born in Gleiwitz in Silesia on 21 September 1959. Andrzej started playing football there for the small club Piast Gliwice in the Polish industrial town. At the age of 18 he moved up to the first team where he played for two years. The top-flight Polish club Ruch Chorzow signed the technically gifted midfielder in 1979 for the first team. He immediately gained a regular berth there and made his debut for the Poland team. He played for Poland in all the games at the 1982 World Cup going out to the eventual World Cup winners Italy in the semi-finals. In the third-place play-off, the team led by world-class player Zbigniew Boniek beat France 3-2.

Show more
Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker wird 40 | Geburtstagskind des Monats September
Bayer 04 - 01.09.2024

Birthday boy of the month II: Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker turns 40

Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker was born in Schleswig on 23 September 1984. He started his story as a footballer in the state of Schleswig-Holstein at the small village club with TSV Bollingstedt. When his parents moved to Bonn for work in 1995, he signed for SV Beuel 06, a club in the former Federal German capital of Bonn.

Show more
Mannschaftsfoto 1920/21
Bayer 04 - 01.09.2024

From the archives: 105 years ago – 21 September 1919, 16.00

On that day, the league game or championship football competition match, as it is was called back then, for TuS 04 Leverkusen, who were the football section of the future Bayer 04 Leverkusen for a long-term time, played on the Pitch on the Dhünn.

Show more
Von Bruckmann bis Calhanoglu | Tore des Monats September
Bayer 04 - 01.09.2024

Goals of the Month: From Bruckmann to Calhanoglu

In this video you can watch impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 in the month of September. It is not always about the beauty of the goals but also about remembering special games and players.

Show more
Vor 20 Jahren – Bayer fegt die „Galaktischen“ vom Platz | Spiel des Monats September
Bayer 04 - 01.09.2024

Match of the month: 20 years ago – Bayer play the Galacticos off the park

‘Los Galacticos’ were a collection of world famous players at Real Madrid. Names like Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Raul and Iker Casillas are still familiar to every football fan today.

Show more