27.10.2022Bayer 04

The German School Madrid and Bayer 04: A special connection

The connection to Bayer 04 cannot be missed in the entrance to the German School Madrid: A framed Werkself shirt hangs on the wall visible to all students and visitors. The letters DSM are on the shirt – that stands for Deutsche Schule Madrid. "A gift from the first visit in 2015," remembers Miguel who heads the football section at the school. A small delegation from Leverkusen visited the school on the morning of the Champions League away game for Bayer 04 at Atlético Madrid (2-2). The agenda included a football tournament on the school's artificial pitch.

Fernando Carro and Co. brought 40 Werkself shirts for the football section at the DSM. The Bayer 04 CEO, along with fans and community director Meinolf Sprink, watched the football tournament in the morning. The Bayer 04 members of staff Benjamin Seifert and Carsten Baumann, who used to play professional football, split the kids up into four teams. "The atmosphere is simply brilliant. A really great setting," said Baumann looking at the over 200 school students surrounding the pitch who got behind the lads of the football section from classes six and seven.

headteacher from Leverkusen – signed shirt as a gift

The connection between the German School Madrid and the Werkself opened another chapter in the summer of 2022: Dirk Karl Pilgram was appointed headteacher at the DSM on 1 August - he was born in Leverkusen. He was in the youth section at Bayer 04 for four years as a teenager and he later worked for Bayer AG. Pilgram thanked Carro, Sprink and Co. for their visit: "It's always a special honour for us to be able to welcome you here. And, of course, I'm really happy to welcome my favourite club to Madrid."

The Leverkusen delegation presented Pilgram with another gift following the short tournament: a Werkself shirt signed by all the players and coach Xabi Alonso. "A really cool present," said 11-year-old Noah with a beaming smile. And you can be sure that this shirt will also find a very special place at the German School Madrid…

Related News

Bayer 04 - 27.01.2026

Ankle injury: Bayer 04 player Ben Seghir out for several weeks

Bayer 04 Leverkusen will to have manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir. The Morocco international suffered a ligament injury in his left ankle before the AFCON final defeat against Senegal (0-1 a.e.t.).

eSports - 27.01.2026

#B04eSports: Reunion with Leipzig in part two of the Showdown Four preliminary round

The VBL Club Championship 2025/26 continues. Tonight, 27 January (live on Twitch and on the Bayer 04 app from 18:00 CET), the Leverkusen eSports team will play the remaining three matches in the online preliminary round of Showdown Four. They are up against FC Kaiserslautern, SC Freiburg and the current club champions and Showdown Three winners RB Leipzig, with whom Bayer 04, club runners-up and Showdown One winners, shared some memorable moments, especially last year. The lowdown on our next opponents.

Bayer 04 - 27.01.2026

On loan to the end of the season: Bayer 04 sign keeper Jonas Omlin from Mönchengladbach

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Swiss goalkeeper Jonas Omlin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 32-year-old joins the Werkself from the Lower Rhine Bundesliga club on loan to the end of the current season. This is the reaction of Bayer 04 to the injury to first choice keeper Mark Flekken, who faces a long spell on the sidelines.

Bayer 04 - 27.01.2026

Former Borussia captain with international experience: Jonas Omlin profile

Welcome to Leverkusen, Jonas Omlin. Bayer 04 have signed the 32-year-old goalkeeper on loan from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach until the end of the season. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes described the Swiss shot stopper, signed by the Werkself in reaction to the long-term absence of first choice keeper Mark Flekken, as an "internationally experienced keeper." Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the new signing, who will wear the number 18 jersey.

Bayer 04 - 26.01.2026

‘I want to be a role model’: Vázquez interview | Werkself-Magazin #53

Lucas Vázquez was the hero in Saturday's 1-0 home win against Werder Bremen, when the Spaniard scored his first Bundesliga goal to secure an important victory for Leverkusen. The 34-year-old right-sided recently met up with the Werkself magazine for an interview in the Düsseldorf restaurant Casa Galicia after the first few months of settling in to his new home in Germany. Over tapas, the five-time Champions League winner, who left Real Madrid in the summer after 18 years to continue his career at Bayer 04, spoke about his career to date, the new challenge in Leverkusen and the importance of family - and he paid a big compliment to the fans of his new club.