Talking about his time at Leverkusen, the coach said: "It was a very exciting, very intense time" and he added: "In the opening phase we didn't manage to turn performances into points. And then we came into a difficult situation at a club not used to that situation with such young players. But in the last two weeks we have succeeded in completely focusing our minds. We could have won both games."
Korkut is now looking to clock up a victory in his last game with Bayer 04 in Berlin. For Hertha it is all about qualifying for Europe: The Berlin team could slip down to seventh place, which would be enough to qualify for the Europa League if Borussia Dortmund beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Cup final.
Bayer 04 will definitely be without Kevin Volland (hamstring) for the game against Hertha. There is still a question mark over Ömer Toprak making appearance. Korkut: "I'll have to see how Ömer is. He's only trained on his own up to now and he hasn't taken part in full training."
All in red to Berlin
The #finallyRED campaign continues in Berlin. There is a tradition that all the Werkself fans show their support for Bayer 04 on the final matchday is of the season by wearing red. The Werkself will have the backing of some 1,900 fans in Berlin. Korkut: "The support against Köln was outstanding. We'd be glad to see that again. We want to celebrate a victory with the fans to round it off."
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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