Now the Werkself can focus completely on the Bundesliga campaign: The Bosz charges have eleven games left this season including electrifying encounters with direct rivals for a European finish from Hoffenheim (29 March, 20.30 CET), Leipzig (6 April, 15.30 CET) and Frankfurt (3 to 6 May, to be confirmed). There are 33 points up for grabs – and, ideally, Peter Bosz would like to take the complete haul as he declared after the Dortmund game. Saturday sees the start with a home game against FC Freiburg kicking off at 15.30 CET.
Wednesday morning saw the start of preparations for the game against the team lying thirteenth in the table who are currently unbeaten in four games. In a 90-Minute session in springlike sunshine, the focus was on passing, moves, finishing and ended with a practice match. The werkself skipper Lars Bender was again able to train with the team, as he did on Friday, after recovering from a hamstring injury. Karim Bellarabi (hamstring) and Lucas Alario (rested) completed individual workouts in the facilities at the BayArena along with Joel Pohjanpalo who is currently recovering from an ankle injury.
And there was positive news for Panos Retsos. The 20-year-old Greek returned to training alongside his team-mates in a 60-minute session on a neighbouring pitch. That means he could soon return to full training.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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