
Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin (PlayStation 4) and Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae (XBOX ONE) qualified for the finals tournament thanks to impressive performances that saw them end third in the Club Championship. The finals will also be played in the so-called 85 mode this year where all the teams have the playing ability level of 85 and therefore have equal chances. The 24 qualifiers – twelve from the Club Championship, twelve via play-offs – play into groups of six per console. The best four players in a group go through to the Round of 16.
The previous league matchday is now almost four months ago. The anticipation is very, very big. I'm looking forward to finally being able to perform again," said B04_DUBJZE ahead of Wednesday’s start in the group stage on 24 June (from 18.00 CET/live on Twitch: b04eSports). The 22-year-old Xbox player has been drawn in an extremely high quality group on paper: In the group stage, De Cae will be playing against the reigning German champion ‘MEGABIT’ (Bremen), ‘XIMPACT10’ (Fürth) and ‘DULLENMIKE’ (Wolfsburg). "It won't be an easy task," said the Werkself player. "But if I'm able to rediscover my performance levels from the Club Championship then it's very possible to at least get through the group stage."
His counterpart on PlayStation 4 also highlights the quality of the opposition. "All the participants deserve to be here – they're the best players in Germany in the 85 mode," said 'DETO'. "Therefore it depends on who's on top form on the day and is able to produce their best performances."
The Black and Red duo on the consoles do have title ambitions after their impressive performances in the Club Championship. De Cae: "We'd be really happy if one of us can win a title for Leverkusen."
The dates of the VBL Grand Final:
24.06. – Group stage (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
25.06. – Round of 16 & quarter-finals (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
28.06. – Semi-finals & final (12.00 CET / live on ProSieben Maxx)

A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
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The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
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For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
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European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
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