Bayer 04 will be without the services of goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky longer than expected in the pre-season. In the operation to remove a wisdom tooth on Friday, the Finn also had to have a cyst removed from his jaw. The unscheduled operation was a success although it does involve a significantly longer recovery period due to the work on the jaw. Hradecky is expected to return to training in three to five weeks.
"We have a very strong set of goalkeepers and we will be able to make up for the loss and we have great confidence in Ramazan Özcan and Thorsten Kirschbaum," said head coach Heiko Herrlich, who only received the bad news at the BayArena following the afternoon training session. "I'm most sorry for Lukas who joined us full of ambition and now has to watch from the sidelines," added Herrlich. "But he is in the best hands with our medical section and the coaches and the players will do all they can to support Lukas. He will be given time to recover completely."
A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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