For those in attendance, it was not just the victory on the day that took the team into the top four of the table which provided smiles all around, but the chance to join together in camaraderie with other Bayer 04 fans and followers at a cozy neighborhood sports bar.
“I’ve been a Leverkusen fan consistently for three years now and was really excited for the opportunity to join with fellow Bostonians and watch the team,” said Stefan Karlberg. “The team had a bumpy start but you can see that the players still have faith and still believe in the mission. That gives me faith when I watch them.”
Participants on this day included fans from around greater Boston and featured numerous guests and their families from the Bayer Research and Innovation Center (BRIC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
“I’m probably more of a new Leverkusen fan in the last couple of years,” said Matteo Aeldeghi who works at BRIC. “But I wanted to come here and support the team, be with friends and colleagues, and enjoy a good atmosphere.”
The event even included one enthusiastic fan ready to start the very first Bayer 04 Leverkusen fan club in Boston.
“I watch Bundesliga all weekend and would love to do it with others, for example as part of a fan club,” added Karlberg.
Numerous giveaways on the morning included Bayer 04 scarves, guaranteeing plenty of Bayer 04 logos to go around, with the highlight being the halftime drawing by one lucky fan for an autographed Malik Tillman home jersey in black.
And it was Tillman’s star power that in fact drew some of the fans to The Banshee.
“I’m actually a big US national team fan, and I came for Malik Tillman… love the player,” said Kalen Almeida. “But Leverkusen is an insanely easy team to root for. That 2023-24 season was amazing and that almost turned me into a full fan. It’s a great club.”
The gathering in Boston continues the club’s on-going internationalization efforts, engaging with the growing Bayer 04 Leverkusen fan base overseas in key markets like the U.S., Brazil, Mexico and China.
“These kinds of local events connect our fans around the world directly with our club and other Bayer 04 supporters in those markets,” said Tobias Schmidt, Head of Internationalization at Bayer 04. “The team has witnessed such a surge in interest internationally over the last decade, helped by our historic results in 2024, making it a terrific celebration of everything Bayer 04 when we bring them all together in one place.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended Abdoulaye Faye’s contract by a further year to 30 June 2031. During the 2026/27 season, the talented defender will play for Celta Vigo on loan without an option to buy. The 21-year-old Senegalese is set to feature in La Liga and the UEFA Europa League with last season’s sixth-placed side in Spain.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme on day one (Sunday 2 August) includes a media round with managing director sport Simon Rolfes, free time for the team after the friendly against Rot-Weiss Essen and before an intensive week of training begins, as well as a coffee get-together where CEO Fernando Carro and Rolfes met around 100 fans in the afternoon.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed Kerim Alajbegovic’s transfer to Italian record champions Juventus. The club brought the 18-year-old attacking player back to Leverkusen this summer via a buy-back option, following a season at Red Bull Salzburg. Until his move to Austria, the Bosnia international had been playing for Bayer 04’s Under-19s.
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A warm welcome to the Weimarer Land, Bayer 04! The Werkself moved into their accommodation for this year’s training camp on Saturday evening. In Blankenhain, Thuringia, head coach Carles Martínez’s team have a programme of gruelling training sessions – several of which will be open to fans – and team-building activities lined up for the next six days. We’ll be following the Werkself up close and providing you with exclusive insights, quotes, photos and videos from the training camp.
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With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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