"Our concept is working: Young players capable of developing get trust, playing time and responsibility. They can show what they can do at a very high level. The result this year is the Champions League," said Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes in commenting on the award.
The second and third places were taken by the two second division clubs Holstein Kiel (9,354 minutes; €1.28 million) and FC Magdeburg (8,273 minutes; €1.13 million). The payments reflect the number of minutes played by U23 players in the Local Player category. They must have been registered with a German club for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21. The promotion fund is made up of 2% of national media income (for the 2018/19 season that was more than €22 million). All the minutes played in professional league games by Local Players are taken into account up to the season of their 23rd birthday. Players from abroad must have been registered with the German Football Association (DFB) before their 19th birthday.
Falko Götz was appointed at the start of the week to look after talented youngsters in the transition between the youth teams and the first team. The 57-year-old played for the Werkself from 1984 to 1988 (115 appearances, 26 goals) and he won the UEFA Cup in his final season under the Bayer Cross. After ending his playing career in 1997, he started working as a coach in the youth section at Hertha Berlin before later training their pro squad. Most recently, the former East Germany international coached the former second division club FSV Frankfurt.
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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Bayer 04 produced a dominant and impressive 4-0 win over Union Berlin as they picked up three points in their first home game of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Exequiel Fernández opened the scoring after only 41 seconds, with Facundo Medina doubling the lead before the half-hour mark. Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza continued the procession in the second period, in which Moussa Diaby came on for his first Leverkusen appearance for over three years.
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