The French forward was enthusiastic: "The atmosphere was great as was the performance! It's brilliant to see there's another high quality sport in Leverkusen alongside the football," he said after the game.
The city has long been known for a close relationship between Bayer AG, football and many other top level sports. The stories will be bundled together under the name Bayer Sports Family and presented on the digital channels with the matching hashtag #BayerSportsFamily.
The first episode of the brand-new format 'Bayer Sports Family' duel was shown on the Bayer 04 YouTube channel for the start of the play-offs in basketball. This includes Werkself skipper Lukas Hradecky in a free shot challenge at the Ostermann Arena against the 7-foot-tall centre Dennis Heinzmann of the Bayer Giants. To make it fairer, Hradecky was able to choose one of three handicaps for the basketball player. Which it was and who sank the most shots can be seen HERE.
Adli and Hradecky are not the only Bayer 04 players to be guests at TSB Bayer 04 Leverkusen this year. The Bayer 04 Women’s team were recently at the Ostermann Arena to provide support for the Werkself handball side. And Bayer 04 have also enjoyed the support of Bayer athletes this season. The whole of the Bayer Giants team and the pole vaulter Torben Blech who commentated on the game against Hertha Berlin (2-1) for Bayer 04 on Instagram and Snapchat.
All this plus further information, fixture announcements, entertainment formats from the big Leverkusen sports family will be available in future on all digital channels under #BayerSportsFamily. Have a look!
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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