Two board members from each of the professional clubs signed the cooperation agreement at the German Football Museum in Dortmund on Monday afternoon. Bayer 04 were represented by Fernando Carro, chairman of the board, and sporting managing director Rudi Völler. NRW Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul explained after the meeting: "We are dealing with a problem that has existed for decades. Intensive exchange of information and close cooperation are the keys to less violence in football."
The alliances are to be set up and individually administered in each of the venues by the club and the local police authorities according to agreed standards. Regular information, joint exercises, discussions and dedicated contacts form part of all the agreements.
In addition to Bayer 04, the following clubs have agreed to the alliances: Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Schalke 04, FC Köln, Arminia Bielefeld, SC Paderborn 07, VfL Bochum and Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Background to the co-operative approach is combating violence relating to football. During the 2018/19 season, 276 people were injured and 1,615 prosecutions were launched in relation to football matches in North Rhine-Westphalia.
In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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