The ZDF show has been running since 1963 and always ends with a goal wall challenge. "Three at the bottom, three at the top" will be heard again late on Saturday evenings when the ZDF presenter Jochen Breyer asks the former top striker to take on a challenger. Before that, Breyer and Rudi Völler will discuss the results of the Saturday matches, talk about the run-in and look forward to the forthcoming Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Monday 2 May. Remaining tickets for the game are available from the Bayer 04 ticket shop.
The 62-year-old showed what's needed for shots from seven yards in March 1985. Back then a player with Werder Bremen, his five strikes put him right at the top of the list. A record that Völler now shares with just eight of the goal wall marksmen. One of those to clock up five with a Bayer 04 past is Reinhard Saftig who was the coach at Leverkusen from July 1991 to May 1993. He achieved that masterpiece in October 1991 and is the only goal wall marksman with the Werkself at the time up to now.
In addition to Völler and Saftig, a large number of other Leverkusen players and managers have sat at the interview table on the 'aktuelles sportstudio' programme. Erich Ribbeck, who coached the Werkself to win the UEFA Cup in 1988, faced questions from the presenters in around 30 broadcasts. A couple fewer visits were made by Christoph Daum who was in the Bayer 04 dugout for 185 games between 1996 and 2000.
The most recent guest from the Werkself on 20 November 2021 was midfield maestro Robert Andrich. The 27-year-old midfielder made his way to Mainz after the 1-0 home win against VfL Bochum on matchday 12. The Bayer 04 number eight sank one of six attempts in the goal wall challenge.
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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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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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Bayern 04 Women have confirmed another summer signing, with midfielder Paulina Platner moving to Leverkusen from SGS Essen. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Werkself.
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