Bayer 04 Fans Gather in Manhattan for Big Game

It was the third official watch party for the club in the U.S. during the past year and also marked a milestone moment: the inauguration of Bayer 04’s first New York–based fan club, the Werkself Warriors, during a short pregame presentation that included Brian the Lion visiting from Germany and handover of a Werkself Warriors flag and certificate.

A boisterous and packed crowd was on-hand well before kick-off, which included 20 members of the Werkself Warriors coming together, decked out in black and red scarves, jerseys and hats.

They cheered hard, they cheered loud – and on this match day, they cheered as one. While the result was not what Bayer 04 fans had come for, the bonds, conversations and shared moments were.

“This is massive for us, we first thought about it during the trophy tour last year and a few of us got together and just said to each other, why don’t we make this a regular thing,” said one of the co-founders Octavio Gil. “The Bundesliga’s style of play has won me over during the last few years and what Xabi Alonso did with Leverkusen made me into a total fan.”

Another co-founder of the Werkself Warriors, Alex Kramm, has a longer history with Leverkusen. The love for his hometown club goes back more than 40 years and has continued since moving to the U.S. in 1996. He’s had the unique fortune of watching in person every game that has seen the club clinch trophies, including the 1988 UEFA Cup and 1993 DFB Pokal and the 2024 double.

“It’s great to finally do this and bring the Leverkusen fans here together,” said Kramm at the watch party. “This is clearly a team that people enjoy watching. It’s still early stages but we plan to continue to grow this following for many years to come.”

Adding to the festivities, club mascot Brian the Lion made a surprise appearance — delighting fans with photos, high-fives, and plenty of smiles. The afternoon also featured fan giveaways, including an autographed home jersey from Werkself midfielder and U.S. national team standout Malik Tillman – and, of course, a few Kölsch glasses.

The atmosphere at Legends was lively and full of energy — scarves raised high, cheers echoing through the bar, and a shared sense of pride among Leverkusen fans from the New York area.

“The atmosphere here was terrific with a real passion for the action,” added Gil. “One thing we’ll be looking at is trying to find a place that we can call our own. This was definitely just the beginning.”  And a loud beginning it was.