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.
Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Bayer 04 Women finish 2025 with the first game of the second half of the Google Pixel Bundesliga season as they host defending champions and league leaders Bayern Munich at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Monday. Kick-off is at 18:00 CET. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 14 encounter.
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The Werkself may have the festive season off, but four players will still be in action as they compete at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Eliesse Ben Seghir will open the 35th edition of the tournament with hosts Morocco on Sunday, 21 December. Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Ibrahim Maza (Algeria) and Christian Kofane (Cameroon) are also going for continental glory.
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The media wanted to know if Malik Tillman had thought back in September and the team’s indifferent start to the season that they would go into the winter break in third place with 29 points from 15 games. His answer was short and clear: “Honestly, yes, because I simply believe in this team.” That team had just won 3-1 at RB Leipzig, who hadn’t dropped a single point at home previously this season. Here’s all the round-up from the game in our Werkself Review.
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