The Werkself LIVE matchday magazine for the game against the team next to bottom in the Bundesliga will be available at the stadium – it is also online now. This season’s new Bayer 04 programme is full of stats and facts on the match between the Werkself and the team under head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. On the reverse side there is a poster of Timothy Fosu-Mensah. HERE is the e-paper.
The German Football Association (DFB) have appointed Dr Felix Brych as the match referee. The 46-year-old match official from Munich has previously been in charge of 39 games involving the Werkself, 38 in the Bundesliga and one in the DFB Cup – with 22 wins, five draws and twelve defeats for the Black and Reds. Dr Brych has shown 57 yellow and three red cards in those games. His assistants are Marcel Unger and Thomas Gorniak, Günter Perl is the VAR referee. Have a good game.
Based on the current coronavirus protection order of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 10,000 spectators are permitted to attend the match at the BayArena but there is no standing section. Spectators must wear a medical grade face mask, including at their own seat, for the duration of their visit. The 2G plus rule also applies.
The Werkself have only lost one of the last 19 Bundesliga fixtures against today's visitors from Baden-Württemberg (14 wins, four draws): a 1-0 home defeat in April 2018. That was also the only clean sheet for Stuttgart in the last 24 league matches against the Black and Reds. Also worth mentioning: Bayer 04 have beaten VfB 38 times in the Bundesliga – more than any other team. Another plus: The Werkself have only scored more goals in matches against Borussia Mönchengladbach (152) than against the team with the hooped shirt (142).
On today's matchday, Bayer 04 congratulate three former Werkself players on their birthdays – including the player with the most appearances: Rüdiger Vollborn celebrates his 59th birthday. He joined Bayer 04 from his home town of Berlin in 1981 and went on to make 401 league appearances in goal for the Black and Reds – no other player has surpassed that number of games to date. Vollborn is also the only player to win the UEFA Cup (in 1988) and the DFB Cup (in 1993) with the Werkself. After hanging up his boots, he went on to be the goalkeeping coach and now for many years he has worked as the fan liaison officer and club archivist at Bayer 04. For the past year, Vollborn has brought the history of the Werkself closer to the fans with his regular contribution of ‘Rudi recounts…’. Many happy returns, Rudi!
The other two birthday boys played for Werkself youth teams: Kolja Pusch (2005 to 2013), now 29 years old, plus the recently 30-year-old Tobias Haitz (2007 to 2013). While Pusch is now playing for MSV Duisburg in the third division, Haitz ended his playing career in the summer of 2018. Many happy returns to both of you.
Die zwei weiteren Geburtstagskinder liefen derweil in ihrer Jugend für den Werksklub auf: Kolja Pusch (2005 bis 2013), nun 29 Jahre alt, sowie der neuerdings 30-jährige Tobias Haitz (2007 bis 2013). Während Pusch mittlerweile für den Drittligisten MSV Duisburg am Ball ist, hat Haitz seine Laufbahn im Sommer 2018 beendet. Herzlichen Glückwunsch auch an euch beide!
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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