Bayer 04 flags, balloons in black, red and gold and a big LED screen with images of the Werkself players: What a welcome. All the players, head coach Xabi Alonso and the club management members Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes were called onto the stage individually and then introduced with the listing of their previous sporting achievements. The Bayer AG members of staff, all wearing Bayer 04 shirts, greeted the visitors from Leverkusen with loud applause.
Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, spoke on stage to the employees at the Bayer site: "We are happy to be guests in a football crazy city like St. Louis. We also congratulate you for the club from this city playing in the MLS next year. Our club Bayer 04 belongs to Bayer AG, you work for Bayer – to that extent it's a perfect match." In response to the question of who would come to the match at the newly built CITYPARK Stadium, everybody raised their hands. Carro: “We look forward to welcoming you to the game on Wednesday."
Fernando Carro presented a gift to Jackie Applegate, CEO Crop Science North America: a shirt made up in two halves of the white jersey of St. Louis CITY SC and the red home shirt of Bayer 04.
Jackie Applegate: "It's a great day for Bayer Crop Science North America. We are happy to welcome Bayer 04 here to us in St Louis. Bayer AG has succeeded in connecting our heartland to Germany. We can't wait for the match on Wednesday." For Applegate it will not be the first Werkself match she has seen live: The Bayer manager, who worked in Germany for Bayer AG for three years, has been a member of the Bayer 04 fan club 'Alte Hasen' since 1998.
At the end of the event, the employees had plenty of time to get autographs and take selfies with the players, coaches and management.
The Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
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The German Football League (DFL) has published the fixture list for the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. Bayer 04 start the new season with a home game against TSG Hoffenheim. The first away game for the Werkself is at Werder Bremen. The final Bundesliga fixture is on 16 May 2026 against newly promoted Hamburg SV with a 15:30 CEST kick-off at the BayArena.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have given offensive player Paulina Bartz a long-term contract. The 20-year-old has penned a new deal to 30 June 2027.
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Germany international Florian Wirtz has been voted Bayer 04 ‘Player of the Season’ for the second time in a row. The 21-year-old, who will play for Premier League champions Liverpool next season, received more than half of all votes cast in the annual poll organised by Bayer 04.
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Top scorer Cornelia Kramer has been voted Bayer 04 Women's 'Player of the Season’ after her first year in Black and Red. The Denmark international follows in the footsteps of former captain Elisa Senß, who won the fan poll in both 2022/23 and 2023/24. With more than 1,400 votes cast, Kramer just edged teammate Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir into second place.
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