A number of current and former top athletes are set to take part in the third charity football match to be held at the home of the Werkself. Proceeds from the game will go to the 41 Campus Project of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation and projects run by the Keep Fighting Foundation of the Schumacher family.
The event starts at 16.30 CET and there will be a wide range of activities in and around the BayArena.
The two teams, ' Nowitzki All-Stars' and 'Schumacher & Friends’ will be able to count on support from the Bayer 04 ranks: Simon Rolfes and Stefan Kießling have already said yes to Dirk and Mick. One or two other Werkself players from the current squad will also make an appearance at the event - Peter Bosz and his players are set to return to Leverkusen from the training In Zell am See/Kaprun just before the match.
"I'm looking forward to coming back to Germany in the summer and taking part in a great football event with the fans and lots of athletes. Even if I'm not the most talented footballer, it's always great fun and I'll do my best," said Nowitzki. "I'm looking forward to an exciting and successful Champions for Charity event in Leverkusen," added his opposite number Schumacher.
Tickets for the Champions for Charity event are available now from €10 at www.champions-for-charity.de.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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