The Leverkusen youth teams each start with a group match against Alemannia Aachen. The U19 players kick off their first match in the NRW League Cup at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre at 10.30 CEST. However, due to the crowd restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, only parents and relatives of the players will be able to watch the U19 fixture against Aachen at the stadium. The players' families have already been informed about access procedures.
There will be 329 seats available for Bayer 04 youth matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. That means spectators will be able to attend the U17 NRW League Cup opener on Saturday. The clash with Alemannia Aachen kicks off at 11.00 CEST.
Access begins approximately 45 minutes before kick-off via the North/West entrance to the BayArena. Spectators are asked to check in via QR codes before entering UHS. In addition, spectators must be fully vaccinated, recovered or tested (3G - geimpft, genesen, getestet). Children from the age of six need a certificated, negative test result that is not more than 24 hours old. The relevant documents are to be presented at the entrance to the stadium.
Face coverings are to be worn throughout the stadium and may only be taken off at your seat. Bayer 04 will not provide any catering but spectators can bring their own food and drink (up to 0.5 litres, exclusively in PET bottles and non-alcoholic).
The West German Football Association (WDFV) have set up the NRW League Cup to bridge the long gap before the start of the Western sections in the U19 and U17 Bundesligas at the start of September and also to provide the talented youngsters with an additional stage to perform on. This is open exclusively to clubs from the U19 and U17 Bundesliga West leagues with each team having to play at least three games. The teams play each other in four groups and each group winner will qualify for the semi-finals.
The Leverkusen U19s will play Aachen, Borussia Dortmund and Preußen Münster in Group 3. The Bayer 04 U17s will face Aachen and the youth teams of Fortuna Düsseldorf and Münster in Group 2. The group matches will be played on three weekends starting this weekend (7/8 August). The U17 League Cup final as in the first week of September and the U19 final is set to be played on 20 November.
Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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The next footballing highlight is just around the corner: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd edition of the tournament, will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico and feature 48 teams for the first time. Bayer04.de has all the latest on the Werkself players called up to represent their countries.
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While the majority of the Bayer 04 Women are enjoying their summer break, nine Werkself players will be on duty for their national teams in the coming days. Three of them are competing for a place at the World Cup, while six are involved in two friendlies with the Germany U23 team.
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