The Bayer 04 delegation will first visit the North American headquarters of Bayer AG (Consumer Health). At a town hall meeting and ensuing discussions, the employees will have the opportunity to get up close to the three trophies and take a souvenir photo. Other activities on the trophy tour include a ‘Champions night’ reception with top-class guests in Manhattan, visits to the governor of New Jersey and the Bundesliga International Americas Office on Union Square plus a range of media events.
Carro: "The historic success of last season was the result of our exceptional performances on the pitch. However, the basis for that was the work of all employees at the club. This special teamwork, that involved everybody in and around the club and in partnership with Bayer AG, made our success possible." The CEO emphasised: "We now want the whole Bayer 04 family and our Bayer colleagues worldwide to share in what has been achieved. On this trophy tour we see ourselves as ambassadors for the Bundesliga. We want to contribute to raising the visibility and profile in one of the most important foreign markets for our domestic league."
Dave Tomasi, president of Bayer North America (Consumer Health Division): "It’s an honor to welcome and host Bayer 04 Leverkusen as the first stop of their trophy tour in the Americas. The team’s accomplishments this past year have been truly inspiring, and their dedication and determination on the field truly match Bayer’s commitment to creating a better world where health and nutrition empower all. Here's to their journey of continued success and the shared values that make us all champions!"
At the end of the tour on Saturday, 14 September, Bayer 04 will hold a 'watchparty' on Bundesliga Matchday 3 that sees the Werkself take on TSG Hoffenheim in the second away game of this season. The match will be broadcast live at the Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, New York. In the late afternoon, the trophies will be displayed at Saturdays Football Boutique on Broome Street in Manhattan, Little Italy, before the Bayer 04 group head back to Germany.
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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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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