Our number 11 made 39 appearances for the Werkself last season and the Ludwigshafen-born player was directly involved in 14 goals. After five full international appearances for Germany in Euro qualifiers and international friendlies, the 2017 U21 European Champion is set to play in the Olympic football tournament in Japan. As one of the three players allowed to be over 23 years old, Nadiem Amiri will assume a leadership role in the DFB squad.
The Germany Olympic squad under U21 national coach Stefan Kuntz play the title holders Brazil (kick-off: 13.30 CEST) in the group stage on 22 July, a day before the official opening of the Olympic Games. Saudi Arabia are the next opponents three days later (kick-off: 13.30 CEST). Germany's last match in the race for a quarter-final slot is on 28 July against the Ivory Coast (kick-off: 10.00 CEST) in the final group game.
In addition to Amiri, another Werkself player is included in his country's Olympic team. There will be a head-to-head in Group D when Germany with Amiri face Brazil with Bayer 04 offensive player Paulinho.
To date the men's and women's footballers at Bayer 04 have collected a complete set of medals. In the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul (South Korea), Thomas Hörster and Christian Schreier on bronze for Germany. In 2016 there was silver for Lars Bender and Julian Brandt and Sven Bender within the team under coach Horst Hrubesch for the defeat in the final. Annike Krahn was a winner that year. The Bayer 04 defender was in the Germany team under coach Silvia Neid that beat Sweden 2-1 in the final. Krahn ended her international career after that and a year later hung up her boots at club level.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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