
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.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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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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