
There is something special in store for the most loyal of loyal Werkself fans at Saturday’s season launch at the BayArena: The 2,500 season card holders, who watched all the competitive games at the BayArena last term, in a for a special surprise. As a thank you, Bayer 04 are giving those fans a personalised ‘loyalty scarf’ available at a stall on the piazza by the West Stand (next to the police station). CEO Michael Schade, right back Danny da Costa and fan liaison officer Rüdiger Vollborn will call in there at 13.45 CET on Saturday afternoon to join Bayer 04 staff in handing out scarves to the most loyal fans.
“We have identified the 2,500 or so fans who we want to give this gift to reward their loyalty,” explained Meinolf Sprink, fan and community director at Bayer 04. Those Werkself season ticket holders, who were at all of the home games at the BayArena last term but are unable to be at the stadium on Saturday due to holidays or other reasons, will be able to collect their loyalty scarf at the first Bundesliga home game against Hamburg SV on 10 September.
Lots of highlights and attractions
In addition to the sporting highlight of the friendly against Real Sociedad (14.30 CET), the mega autograph session (17.00 CET) or interviews with Michael Schade and Rudi Völler (at half-time in the Sociedad game) or Roger Schmidt (16.20 CET) plus the numerous fun activities on the concourse, there is another good reason to get to the BayArena on Saturday from 12.30 CET: The new Benedictine beer garden will be opened in the north west area of the stadium by E block.
New beer garden worth a visit
In future, the beer garden will be open on home matchdays two hours before kick-off providing fans with a special range of food and drinks. In addition to tasty specialities such as Fleischkäse meatloaf or spit roasts there will refreshing wheat beers on offer from Bayer 04 partner Bitburger. Around 200 seats will be available for people to meet up to discuss the game. And not only before matches but also at half-time and up to two hours after the final whistle. A DJ will also be on hand to spin the discs in the beer and fulfil requests from music lovers where possible.


Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month.
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Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
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The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
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Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
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The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
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