The Leverkusen players on the virtual turf are again Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr and Furkan ‘FURKY’ Kayacik, who both extended their contracts with the Werkself last month. The duo are joined by the new Bayer 04 eSports talent Mario ‘BULJI’ Lovrinovic.
29 teams will compete in the coming season in the VBL Club Championship 2022/23 – more than ever before. The teams will be split into two North-West and South-East divisions as usual. The Leverkusen trio will compete in the North-West section along with the following 14 clubs: FC Köln, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hansa Rostock, Schalke 04, FC St. Pauli, Hamburg SV, Hannover 96, Hertha Berlin, Holstein Kiel, SC Paderborn 07, Werder Bremen, VfL Bochum, VfL Wolfsburg and Eintracht Braunschweig.
In addition to matches at the weekend, the kick-off times for games during the week are always on Tuesdays in the North-West section. Matchday one for the Black and Reds is on 15 November. The final matchday in the current calendar year is on 20 December before games resume on matchday 11 on 10 January. That gives all friends of Bayer 04 the chance to follow and support the Werkself during the Bundesliga break. The final matchday 14 in the VBL Club Championship 2022/23 will be played on 28 February 2023.
As usual, the teams finishing first and second in the two sections will qualify for the final rounds of the VBL Club Championship on 25 and 26 March 2023. Teams finishing from third to sixth in the two sections will take part in the VBL Club Championship play-offs on 7 and 8 March to decide the remaining four places in the finals. The German Club champions will be the winner of the eight final teams in the knockout tournament.
That will be followed by the German individual championship in the so-called VBL Grand Final. Qualifiers are the two eSports players from the four best clubs in the division from the VBL Club Championship. Another 24 players from the clubs in the VBL Club Championship also have the opportunity to take part in the Grand Final via VBL play-offs.
A total of 104 players will meet in the VBL play-offs who have qualified via the VBL Open for the VBL Play-offs. The VBL Open gives everyone the opportunity to take part in the knockout rounds of the VBL play-offs. From the 128 participants in the VBL play-offs, 16 players will qualify for the VBL Grand Final.
The 32 eSports players in the Grand Final will compete in a group stage before playing for the German Individual Championship in knockout rounds.
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
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Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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