Last Saturday's match against RB Leipzig (2-3) marked the end of his long working life. Time for retirement. Saying that: Anyone who knows Meinolf Sprink will know that the 66-year-old will definitely not take it too quietly to start with. Born in Düsseldorf, he has always been very interested in a lot of things and very communicative. Characteristics that fit the job requirements of his many posts.
The qualified logistics manager and Master of Business Administration started in journalism. After practical training at the Neuss-Grevenbroicher-Zeitung/Rheinische Post, Sprink went on to be the editor there. But he moved on to PR work for Bayer AG in 1988, which included heading the section of 'Press and PR inland'. Between 1996 and 1999 he took over the role of a media relations manager in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the American Bayer subsidiary of Bayer Corporations.
The next step in his career followed on his return from the USA: Sprink took over from Jürgen von Einem as the sports representative at Bayer AG on 1 January 2000. In this role he was also on the Bayer 04 Leverkusen. GmbH shareholders committee. Sprink, who played in the table tennis Bundesliga second division for Neusser TTC, worked on behalf the whole Bayer Sports set-up for seven years. In 2002 he was with the football team for the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Glasgow. Sprink gave the speech for Bayer 04 at the banquet on the night before the game and he received a "well done" from guest of honour Sir Sean Connery, the James Bond actor.
Away from the big stage, the group sports representative was to be found at a different type of Bayer sports event every weekend as a spectator and contact. Whether that was handball or volleyball, with the athletes and para-athletes at TSV, or hockey, which Spring always had a special connection with. Not least as Annika, one of his four daughters, won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 with the Germany hockey team.
When Sprink moved from Bayer AG to Bayer 04 in 2007 he first took over the communications and marketing section. From 2013 to 2015 he was the communications/media director. Since July 2015 Spring with the director for fans and community affairs. In those areas he initiated, pushed and accompanied numerous projects, which saw him involved in frank and honest exchanges with everybody involved.
Even with all his commitments, the humorous Rhinelander could also take a relaxed view of things. Just one event a year is non-negotiable for him: Visiting the Neusser Bürger-Schützenfest festival at the end of August start of September in his hometown will count as a must in the future for the tradition-conscious Meinolf Sprink.
Bayer 04 are away to Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 5 of the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. The game kicks off on Thursday 26 November at 18:45 CET at the Maksimir Stadium. All the information on ticket sales.
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It wasn’t just on the pitch that there was cause for celebration around the Werkself’s 2–1 home win against SC Freiburg. Plenty of happy faces could be seen near the dugouts at half-time too. Once again, CEO Fernando Carro, alongside former striker and club ambassador Stefan Kießling, paid tribute to eight supporters’ clubs celebrating up to their 30th anniversary on behalf of Bayer 04.
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He’s done it: Patrik Schick also found the back of the net in Bayer 04’s 2–1 win over SC Freiburg on Matchday six of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season – a club record! In what was a high-quality match from the word go, the Werkself were briefly rattled by the visitors’ opener from Derry Scherhant in the 14th minute but fought back with an equaliser from Ibrahim Maza just six minutes later. In the second half, the Black and Reds took control on their home turf and secured a well-earned win through record-holder Schick. In doing do, the Werkself inflicted the first defeat of the season on the club from the Black Forest.
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It was a match that will live long in the memory of everyone involved: The Bayer 04 U19s celebrated their seventh win in seven matches in the DFB Youth League preliminary round – and yet it was a very special victory indeed: in the 4–3 (1–1) win at VfL Bochum 1848, no fewer than five goals came in the final quarter of an hour. As the 90th minute approached, coach Patrick Greveraars’s side found themselves behind, but then fought back in true ‘Laterkusen’ style.
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Under Carles Martínez, the Werkself have so far proved unbeatable at the BayArena. The Spaniard has led his team to victory in all three of their most recent home matches – and, it's worth noting, without conceding a single goal. On Sunday, 18 October (kick-off: 15:30 CEST / live on DAZN and Werkself Radio), current league leaders SC Freiburg will make the trip to Leverkusen, but will be without their top scorer. What's more, the Werkself have won all three of their previous home matches against the Black Forest club. With a goal, Patrik Schick could not only secure a fourth consecutive victory but also set a memorable record. Meanwhile, on what will be the ‘Health Day' at the BayArena, much of the focus will be on physical wellbeing. Today's matchday news.
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