According to the assessment made by the safety authorities on site, the match against the Dutch top-flight club can kick off at 16.00 CEST as planned. There will be a minute’s silence just before kick-off and the Bayer 04 players will wear black arm bands as a mark of respect for the one fatality and the people injured by the explosion.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is a limit of 350 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium and the remaining tickets were sold out on Tuesday afternoon. Fans were able to buy the tickets for five euros from the Bayer 04 service centre. All the proceeds go to the ‘Leverkusen hilft’ organised by the Leverkusen community foundation with the money raised helping victims of the floods.
Away fans are not permitted at the game; spectators have to be double vaccinated’, have recovered from the virus or have a negative test. Children from six years of age need a certified, negative test result. The relevant document must be produced on entering the stadium.
Bayer 04 will soon announce ticket sales for the final friendly ahead of the start of the new season. The Werkself were due to play Celta Vigo on Saturday 31 July at 16.00 CEST. The match has been called off due to positive Covid-19 cases at the Spanish club. Bayer 04 are now looking for new opponents for the final pre-season friendly. The Werkself kick off the new season on 7 August with the DFB Cup tie against FC Lokomotive Leipzig.
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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