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.
In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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