The Werkself players thanked the nurses and support staff from the Klinikum Leverkusen. On behalf of everybody, Bayer 04 printed the names of ten members of staff on shirts. Lars Bender, Lukas Hradecky, Jonathan Tah, Kai Havertz and Co. signed them and had them delivered – unfortunately without saying thank you personally due to the current circumstances.
In addition to the Werkself players and several big names from the USA top leagues of the NBA (basketball) and NFL (American football), the former Bayer 04 crowd favourite Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, now playing for LA Galaxy, also thanked the doctors, nurses and care workers as part of this campaign. Everyone can say thank you via the hashtags #TheRealHeroes and #WorldNursesday.
Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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The next footballing highlight is just around the corner: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd edition of the tournament, will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico and feature 48 teams for the first time. Bayer04.de has all the latest on the Werkself players called up to represent their countries.
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While the majority of the Bayer 04 Women are enjoying their summer break, nine Werkself players will be on duty for their national teams in the coming days. Three of them are competing for a place at the World Cup, while six are involved in two friendlies with the Germany U23 team.
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