The promotion heroes of 1979 kick-off this black and red weekend. Nearly all members of the team around World Cup winner Dieter Herzog, Fred Bockholt, Jürgen Gelsdorf and Thomas Hörster will be there when celebrations begin in the VIP area at the BayArena at 19.04 CET. An entertaining programme has been put together by Rüdiger Vollborn and Dirk Dreher with historic video and photographic material plus interviews bringing the promotion season and the first years in the Bundesliga to life. A journey through time in the 1970s and 1980s that no Bayer 04 supporter should miss.
Tickets for 'Promotion Day' are available now for five euros (including free drink) from the Bayer 04 Fan Liaison (Bayer 04 Fan House, Breidenbachstraße 46, 51373 Leverkusen) and from 16.00 CET at the home game for the Werkself against Eintracht Frankfurt (5 May, 18.00 CET) from the fan container. Each ticket sold helps to support the 'Kreative Schwarz Rot' club that implements and finances creative ideas for the Leverkusen fans with choreography for example.
While the team under head coach Peter Bosz are battling for important points to qualify for Europe in the match against FC Schalke 04 on 11 May, there will be supporting events on the day of the match celebrating '40 years Bundesliga under the Bayer Cross'.
In March the club called on fans to vote online for the best players over the course of time in the Bundesliga. 12,000 votes were cast and the outcome was the Bundesliga All-Stars – 40 players plus 5 coaches who have all been invited to Leverkusen for the weekend by the management at Bayer 04. Ahead of kick-off, players like Bernd Schneider, Ulf Kirsten, Zé Roberto, Dimitar Berbatov and Bum-kun Cha plus coaching legends Christoph Daum, Klaus Toppmöller and Erich Ribbeck will be honoured in the stadium. The programme of events including a special shirt, and historic matchday magazine and different entertainments will show on 11 May that it is no ordinary matchday at Bismarckstraße.
Experience the history of the club first hand. On Sunday 12 May, fans of the Werkself can meet their heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow – at the 'Tradition Day' in and around the BayArena. The doors at the BayArena open at 09.30 CET.
The first highlight is a match involving the Bundesliga All-Stars at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The Werkself legends play each other from 10.00 CET. While the All-Stars are toiling on the turf, visitors can make use of the Food & Drink stalls and try out the different games on offer. The West area of the BayArena will be open from 11.30 CET. Fans have the chance to see the press conference room, the VIP areas the Mixed Zone and also get on the team bus. The Bundesliga All-Stars, the promotion heroes of 1979 and members of the current team will be available at different points to talk to fans, sign autographs or pose for photos. The programme will be rounded off with a range of interviews conducted by legend stadium announcer Günter Maczkowiak and his successors Klaus Schenkmann, Pitti Dahl and Tobias Ufer on the stage in the Piazza and at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium.
Tickets (one euro each) for the 'Tradition Day' are available now (Bayer 04 ticket web shop, by phone on 0049 (0)214 5000 1904 or in person from the Bayer 04 shops).
The historical background
Bayer 04 Leverkusen finally reached their target on 30 May 1979. A 3-3 draw with Bayer 05 Uerdingen ensure promotion to Germany's top flight for the team coached by Willibert Kremer. The first Bundesliga campaign started on 11 August 1979 with an away game at Bayern Munich. Bayer 04 have been in the top division since that day – in addition the Werkself only by Munich and Borussia Dortmund share that claim.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show more
Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
Show more
A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
Show more
At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
Show more
