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Postage on Women's Festival Night: Bayer hopes for a full house

2020-02-19T15:14:57.004Z


There could hardly have been a worse date for a soccer game in the Rhineland. Bayer Leverkusen welcomes FC Porto on Women's Fast Night. And still hopes for an almost full stadium.


There could hardly have been a worse date for a soccer game in the Rhineland. Bayer Leverkusen welcomes FC Porto on Women's Fast Night. And still hopes for an almost full stadium.

Leverkusen (dpa) - In his first year in the Rhineland, Peter Bosz had plunged into the carnival frenzy with joy. This time he has to do without it.

"I celebrated last year," said the coach of the Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen with a smile: "Unfortunately, we have no time for this year." His team has to play twice during the great days. For the first time on Thursday in the second round first leg against FC Porto (9pm / RTL and DAZN). And this competition is seen as important in Leverkusen. The title, Bosz said at least cautiously, was "possible".

But the first cultural highlight of the day takes place in Leverkusen around nine hours before the kick-off. "At exactly 11:11 am, Mayor Uwe Richrath defended the town hall key against the onslaught of the cheeky women," the city announced cheerfully. The hot phase of the carnival begins on Thursday with Weiberfastnacht. And in Leverkusen, like in the rest of the Rhineland, normal life almost stops at noon. Most shops are closed, even getting married and allowing cars is only possible in the morning.

So attending a football game on Weiberfastnacht at 9:00 p.m. usually occurs to very few Rhinelanders. Especially if, as in this case, it is the first after relegation from the Champions League to the Europa League. And the journey due to road closures and full railways could be even more difficult than usual. "Challenging circumstances" are all that, said communications director Holger Tromp.

In order not to play in front of half-empty ranks, Bayer issued a carnival package that includes tickets for the postage game as well as the game on Carnival Sunday against Augsburg and a carnival scarf for a reduced price. That obviously worked. Bayer now expects around 27,000 spectators and, according to Tromp, "a frame appropriate to the occasion". Sports director Simon Rolfes said: "No matter whether dressed up or in Bayer 04 dress: I hope that as many fans as possible come to the game, create a great atmosphere and we start the knockout phase with a win."

The duel with Porto, which failed in the pre-season in the Champions League in the quarter-finals at the eventual winner Liverpool, is always a sporty one. Rolfes sees "Champions League level" in the duel. "An absolute top opponent," said Rudi Völler, head of sports at Nitro, and announced to all yet undecided carnival jokes a similarly attractive game to that of 4: 3 against Borussia Dortmund a week and a half ago. "It will be like against Dortmund," said the 1990 world champion: "Porto is a team that will play forward. You will not be in the back, there will be an exchange of blows."

So that everyone who decides against the carnival will not regret it. And everyone who goes to the stadium after the party will be entertained twice.

Press kit on uefa.com

Information about the carnival package at bayer04.de

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2020-02-19

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