“In Lisanne Gräwe we have been able to bring a top talent to our team. She has everything to settle in quickly to the Bundesliga, is a good ball-winner, and also has the necessary quality in midfield. We are very much looking forward to working with each other,” said Bayer 04 head coach Achim Feifel about the 18-year-old.
Gräwe has been at VfL Wolfsburg since 2019, primarily in Bundesliga 2 North, and she moved up to the senior team, making her Bundesliga debut at the age of 17. “I’m starting a new chapter here at Bayer 04. Of course, I have followed the club and their development in the Bundesliga and I’m looking forward to the new challenge,” said the midfielder.
The Bayer 04 Women have gained an ambitious defender in Julia Pollak. The 19-year-old clocked up her first experience on the pitch with the Bayern Munich second team in Bundesliga 2 South before moving up to the first team last term. She made six appearances in the league, two in the DFB Cup and four in the Champions League. Pollak’s first season in the top flight was crowned by winning the league title. The defender “wants to gain more match practice” and sees the move to Leverkusen as “the right next step in my career.”
Achim Feifel on the new signing: “Julia was able to prove herself in Munich in an absolute top team. She is very versatile and assertive and her technical ability from the full-back position allows her to mount attacking moves. It’s great that she’ll be wearing the Bayer 04 shirt for our team in the new season.”
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month.
Show more
Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
Show more
The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
Show more
Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
Show more
The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
Show more
