Homegrown Katharina Prinz (left in photo) will play for FFC Recklinghausen in the Regional League West next season. Prinz started her playing career at Bayer 04 in 2009 and in 2013/14 she stepped up from the youth team to the senior squad before moving on to second division SV Meppen in 2016. The defender returned to her roots during the winter break in 2017/18. Prinz made a total of 30 appearances for Bayer 04.
Karoline Heinze (photo: centre) will be hanging up her boots. The 26-year-old, who joined Leverkusen from the then first division club FF USV Jena two years ago, has suffered from a thigh injury since the start of the season. Due to resulting back problems, she only made two appearances this term – out of a total of 19 games in a Bayer 04 shirt. Heinze is not completely giving up sport – she is studying Sport, Media and Communication at the German Sports University and now wants to focus on her master’s degree.
Saskia Meier came to Bayer 04 from Bundesliga club SC Sand in 2017. After relegation at the end of the 2016/17, she played a significant role in being promoted straight back to the the top flight in the next year. The defender played a total of 30 games for Leverkusen. The destination for the 23-year-old after the summer break remains to be confirmed.
Linda Schöttler, head of the women’s football section at Bayer 04: “We would like to thank all three players for their time here under the Bayer Cross and their commitment to our team. We wish them all the best for their future careers both sporting and professional.
Related News
Women - 17.07.2026
Price freeze: Get your Women’s season ticket for the 2026/27 season now
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.
Show more
Bayer 04 - 17.07.2026
Moreira: Bayer 04 ‘a good place to grow as a player and as a person’
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.
Show more
Bayer 04 - 16.07.2026
Bayer 04 mourn the loss of Manfred Manglitz
Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
Show more
Werkself-TV - 16.07.2026
Dutch duo Brandau and Loonen: ‘Competition is really good for us’
Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
Show more
