
Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 Leverkusen CEO, said: "Kumho Tyre is a successful company that thinks and acts globally. They have been a strong partner that fits in really well with us and our ambitions. We've seen that the enthusiasm of the management for the Werkself and the club is big and continues to grow. These factors represent a good basis for continuing to work together."
Namhwa Cho, president of Kumho Tyre Europe GmbH, sees a big plus for the global company in their partnership with Bayer 04: "The brand recognition of Kumho Tyre has increased significantly over the past two years thanks to our sponsorship of Bayer 04 Leverkusen. We have therefore decided to extend our contract over the long term. Bayer 04 are amongst the top clubs in Europe and they stand for reliability, determination and for international prestige which, which are all crucial criteria for our partnerships in sport."
The partnership with the tyre manufacturer also includes a presence on matchdays at the BayArena, for example on advertising hoardings and substitution boards. In addition, the Werkself team bus will continue to be on the road on Kumho tyres.
Company profile:
Kumho Tyre, with the company headquarters in Seoul, was founded in 1960 and is now one of the leading tyre manufacturers worldwide with over 60 million tyres sold per year and an annual turnover of over €2 billion. With a work force of over 11,000, Kumho develops, produces and distributes tyres worldwide primarily for cars, vans and trucks. The tyres are used as original equipment worldwide including with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mini, Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Seat, Fiat, Renault and the Korean manufacturers Hyundai and Kia. Kumho Tyre Europe GmbH, based in Offenbach, controls the marketing and sales activities in Germany and Europe.

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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