
This is the fifth Bundesliga Pitch of the Year award. The assessment was made by a three-person panel of experts consisting of members of the German Pitch Society (DRG e.V.) based on the three elements of the 'sport assessment system', 'panel assessment of measured data and grading' and on-site evaluation by the panel. The sport assessment system involves the captains of both clubs and the referee giving their verdict on the condition of the pitch after every match in the top two divisions of the Bundesliga on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). The rankings are calculated by the total of the average ratings.
The award is based on the expectation the pitches in the professional leagues will look good and play perfectly over the course of the season. The playing surface is used at all times of year and in all weathers so it requires proper care. In addition, the conditions have to be provided to play a normal game. That places the highest demands on the quality criteria for the pitch.
The ground staff at Bayer 04 are led by the head groundsman Georg Schmitz.
The award will be presented at the eleventh Information Meeting for Ground Staff on 9 September.

BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
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100 children from the Bayer 04 Football Academy had the chance to gain exclusive insights: As part of the summer camp, the young footballers headed inside the BayArena at midday on Tuesday, 21 July, where they were due to meet Werkself keepers Janis Blaswich and Simeon Rapsch in the press conference room. The two players took plenty of time to answer every question from the inquisitive audience – whether it was about their own careers or their first impressions of the new head coach. Finally, there was even time left to sign autographs for the young fans.
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Alejo Sarco has left Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join Sporting Gijón in Spain’s second division. Bayer 04 have secured a buy-back clause for the 20-year-old Argentine striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
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