“We are happy to improve the existing processes at Bayer 04 Leverkusen and support the club with unique insights that are currently unavailable to German competitors,” said Stephan Hanke, VP European Sales at Stats Perform. “It will be an exciting season in the Bundesliga and we’re looking forward to being part of this journey.”
Marcel Daum, assistant coach (analysis) at the Werkself: “This is my fourteenth year in professional football and data is now a permanent feature in our daily work. Edge Analysis enables us to move from descriptive analysis to predictive analysis in football. That’s the difference between Edge Analysis and other tools in the sector and it was the main factor in our decision to work with the platform.”
The new functions of Edge Analysis for the 2020/21 season, which are all based on patented models using artificial intelligence, offer new insights into a team’s match characteristics, changes to their tactical formation during a game, the forward movement of the ball and the effect of each player on the generation of goalscoring opportunities that can all be used to determine game strategies against any opponent. Edge Analysis is already being used by clubs in Ligue 1 (France) and Serie A (Italy), including Stade Rennes, who used the platform throughout the 2019/20 season on the way to qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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