Continuity in the head coach role with the oldest youth team: Sven Hübscher, working under the Bayer Cross for the past 18 months, will again be responsible for the Leverkusen U19 team next season, his assistant coach is Markus Daun. The Hübscher team missed out by just one goal in the semi-finals of the U19 German championships last weekend. Bayer 04 finished third in the U19 Bundesliga West.
The U17 team will have a new head coach for the 2022/23 season: The Spaniard Sergi Runge, who speaks fluent German and is currently the assistant coach of the team, now takes charge of the Bayer 04 U17 squad. "Sergi has made a very good impression on recent months. He has quickly settled in to his new role and he has everything required to be the coach in charge," said Thomas Eichin, head of the Youth and Women's teams at Bayer 04.
Runge came to Leverkusen at the beginning of March from the world famous Barcelona academy. The 28-year-old was assistant coach of the U16 side at the top Spanish club. Before that, Runge was assistant coach of the first team and head coach of the U17s at the top Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelnse.
In addition to assistant coach Thomas Zdebel, Runge will have a new fitness coach from the summer: Philipp Walther joined Leverkusen from the Fortuna Düsseldorf U17s. The Fortuna U17s qualified for the semi-finals of the German Championships last season with the 28-year-old in charge of fitness.
Coaching line-up for 2022/23:
U19: Sven Hübscher, Markus Daun
U17: Sergi Runge, Thomas Zdebel
Academy team/U16: Benjamin Adam, TBA
U15: Mirko Casper, Marvin Schmitz
U14: Pierre de Wit, Fritz Vosen
U13: Erdal Celik, Marco Walter
U12: Yannick Lamberz, Dominik Kepper
U11: Alexander Nuss, Achim Gödde
U10: Sebastian Lang, René Färber
U9: Tim Molowitz, TBA
U8: Jürgen Haagmans, Mark Fuldauer, Dennis Sartory
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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