“I feel incredibly at home at this club. When I came to Leverkusen as a young player in 2015, I had the best conditions to develop and become the player I am today. I was able to play in Europe early on in my career with Bayer 04 and also found my way into the national team,” Tah said on extending his deal. “We always had good players, but right now I have the feeling something is developing in Leverkusen. I believe in this team, in this club and see a chance for us to achieve something extraordinary.”
Sporting director Simon Rolfes described Tah’s contract extension as “an important setting of course for a successful future. Jonathan has developed from a talented youngster into a seasoned leader with us. He doesn’t just have a role of responsibility on the pitch, but his word also carries weight off it. Jonathan is multi-talented and very reflective. He can serve as a good example to many of our young players of what it means to become a professional.”
Managing director for sport Rudi Völler considers Tah’s resilience and ambition to be special qualities of the 1.95m defender, in addition to his footballing ability. “After an extremely impressive and consistent start in the Bundesliga, Jonathan has never let isolated setbacks get him down. That’s what sets him apart. Instead, he fought all the more and faced every challenge,” Völler said. “This attitude is exemplary. Jonathan is someone who leads from the front with confidence and who absolutely identifies with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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