All the camp participants start the day at nine in the morning with a healthy breakfast, followed by the first training session. The second session starts after lunch at two in the afternoon.
There was a highlight for the kids on Tuesday afternoon with a very special press conference. The youngsters waited in the press room for a Werkself pro to field their questions - but who would it be? They were told the player had just had his birthday and the kids produced the right answers: Karim Bellarabi. There was much excitement and he was greeted with a serenade. Karim spent an hour answering a wide range of questions.
"Why did you become a footballer," was the first question. "I always dreamt of becoming a professional player. I played football all the time as a kid just like you are now," recalled Bellarabi. And "who 's your favourite opponents?", the kids wanted to know. "Barcelona when I 'd just turned 18 years old. We did lose heavily but It's a game I'll never forget," replied Karim as he went on to talk about his favourite players, his injuries and his career.
After the round of questions, every camp participant was able to take a selfie or get an autograph before entering the BayArena. There was a short tour with the kids enjoying the chance to see the Werkself ground from a player's perspective including the Mixed Zone and the dressing room
The day was not just a hit for the youngsters as Karim Bellarabi also enjoyed this special event: "It was great fun and something different. Perhaps we'll see some of the kids in a Werkself shirt someday."
The weeks at the camp all end with a tournament. The kids will play in Bayer 04 kits and show their parents what they've learned over the week.
The second camp takes place in the second week of the Easter holidays from Tuesday to Friday. The Soccer School is also being held from 19 to 21 April in Bocholt and on Saturday, the day of the match against Bayern, there is a one-day special event for young football fanatics ending in going to the match.
From the 2027/28 season, the Women’s Bundesliga will be organised by an independent league association. Following the unanimous decision taken at the DFB Bundestag (national conference) on Friday afternoon, the league’s separation from the DFB is now official.
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Following the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig (Sunday, 20 September, 15:30 CEST), some of the Werkself first team players will be heading off for the first international break of the season. Here is an overview of the Bayer 04 players called up for their national teams and all the details of their upcoming matches.
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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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