The demand for the shirt was so high that the Bayer 04 web shop was unavailable at times. The Werkself would like to apologise for that and particularly to fans who were unable to get through.
The proceeds from the joint campaign by Bayer 04, Barmenia and JAKO were originally due to benefit the Leverkusen project 'Bayer 04 im Quartier'. However, given the Russian attack on Ukraine and the great suffering of millions of people, it is now been decided to donate the money to the campaign to support Ukraine.
"We are very happy and grateful that all the partners in the project have immediately agreed to the idea of using the proceeds for another purpose. Because of the war in Eastern Europe, people are dying every day, countless are being injured and millions are fleeing. Being able to help is hugely important and an urgent requirement," said Bayer 04 CEO Fernando Carro.
The special shirt for the derby is available as a strictly limited edition: Only 1,930 shirts – a reference to the year the city of Leverkusen was founded – will go on sale. The cream-white kit has a number of special elements. That includes the Bayer 04 logo in the collar of the shirt as is the JAKO logo. In addition, the Barmenia logo is replaced on the chest by the coat of arms of the City of Leverkusen.
"For Barmenia, the principle of sustainability has firmly been part of our company policy for many years. That particularly includes the acceptance of social responsibility. We are therefore very happy to release our space on the Bayer 04 shirt. We were happy to do that to help 'Bayer 04 im Quartier'. But the world has changed. Russia's attack on Ukraine has shocked us deeply. Our thoughts are with the people who now need our help," said Barmenia director Frank Lamsfuß. In addition to Barmenia, our partner FLOKI has also given up their advertising space on the special shirt.
Proceeds will be donated to the Leverkusen Community Foundation (Bürgerstiftung Leverkusen). Funds will be distributed to regional organisations supporting Ukrainian refugees in association with the City of Leverkusen.
The first women, children and teenagers from Ukraine have arrived in Leverkusen. The City Council is currently preparing for the arrival of further refugees. The immediate need is to provide people with somewhere to live, clothing, food, and essential daily provisions.
The Leverkusen Community Foundation and Bayer 04 worked together successfully last summer with flood disaster relief that provided swift support to many people in Leverkusen and the surrounding area.
The special shirt is available now from the Bayer 04 online shop plus the Bayer 04 fan shops in Leverkusen-Wiesdorf and at the BayArena. The shirt is available in sizes S to 5XL and costs €79.90.
Another special feature of the derby shirt: a chip is integrated into the seam of the shirt allowing fans to scan the chip with a smart phone to receive further information on the shirt. The Leverkusen coat of arms – instead of the Bayer 04 badge – in the numbers on the shirt as well as the Leverkusen logo are additional special features. All the clubs supplied by JAKO will launch a special shirt on Bundesliga matchdays 25 and 26. All shirts are made out of 100% recycled polyester. The slogan of the JAKO campaign, "Our team for a better world", is included on the shirt.
Although the proceeds will not go to the ‘Bayer 04 im Quartier’ project this time, the Werkself will pursue this initiative to commit long-term and as required to the city region of Leverkusen. Both current projects as well as new initiatives are part of the strategy. In future, that will include educational and activity provision in defined areas.
It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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