
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.

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 3-2 win against Werder Bremen on Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.
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Thanks to a thrilling second-half comeback, the Bayer 04 women’s team secured their first home win this term. Against Werder Bremen, the Werkself stepped up their game significantly after the break and turned a two-goal deficit into a 3–2 win. Cornelia Kramer (54’, 56’) and Lobke Loonen (81’) scored the goals that earned coach Roberto Pätzold’s team their first points at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium in the current Bundesliga season.
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A commanding performance: In a friendly during the international break, Bayer 04 defeated third-division newcomers SC Fortuna Köln 6–0. Martin Terrier and Patrik Schick scored twice each with Nathan Tella and Miguel Gutiérrez netting the other goals for Leverkusen. Due to preparations at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium for tonight’s Bayer 04 women’s Bundesliga home game against Werder Bremen (kick-off: 18:30 CEST), the fixture against the Cologne side was played at the Werkself training ground.
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Whenever the leading figures in European club football come together, Bayer 04 are right in the thick of it: At the 33rd General Assembly of the European Football Clubs (EFC) in Copenhagen, Fernando Carro, CEO, and Simon Rolfes, Managing Director Sport, discussed key sporting and economic issues for the future.
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