Bayer Leverkusen twins to retire at end of season
Twins Lars and Sven Bender will not renew their contracts at Bayer Leverkusen and have announced that, at 32 years old, they are to retire at the end of the current Bundesliga campaign.
The 2020/21 campaign – their 12th in the Bundesliga – will now be their final one, bringing to an end the careers of German football’s most famous twins.
In a joint statement released by the pair, they cited health reasons behind their decision to call time on their playing days.
“Everyone who knows us knows that we give 100% every day,” they said. “That was always the basic requirement for us.
“Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to do this continuously with all the pain and physical problems from which we are suffering more and more.”
They added: “This decision has been anything but easy, not least because of the honest, fair and understanding relationship with the Leverkusen club management in the past and right up to today. Bayer 04 now have time to plan and that was important to us.”
Having started their careers with 1860 Munich, both sought pastures new ahead of the 2009/10 campaign, with Lars moving to Leverkusen and Sven heading to Borussia Dortmund.
They were reunited at Leverkusen when Sven joined the club in 2017 and the Bender twins have since spent four seasons together at the BayArena.
Read AlsoLeverkusen fire Bosz after slump, Wolf takes charge
Sven lifted the Meisterschale with Dortmund in both 2010/11 and 2011/12 and is also a two-time DFB Cup winner, while both have represented their country.
Lars collected 19 caps and scored four goals for Germany, and Sven played seven times for Die Mannschaft.