Sporting director Rudi Völler did not take long to think about helping OFC and he was happy to give the green light to the friendly. All profits from the match will go to the hosts. Rudi Völler started his professional career at Bieberer Berg in 1977 after signing for OFC from TSV Hanau as a 15-year-old in 1975 and he still maintains a connection with the club. “I was always a Kickers fan. I used to cheer on Erwin Kostedde when I was a teenager,” said Völler.
A very special link
The relationship between Bayer 04 and Offenbacher Kickers is not only very special because of Rudi Völler. The supporters of both clubs have a fan friendship dating back 35 years. The origins of this very close link between OFC and Bayer 04 date back to the 1980s. The two teams met in the DFB Cup in October 1981 with OFC winning 5-2. Shortly after that, the Offenbach fans joined forces with Bayer 04 supporters against fans of rivals Eintracht Frankfurt who were very unpopular with the OFC faithful.
That link has continued up to now. Since then, fan representatives of both clubs have visited each other. In 2012 the Werkself took part in the official opening fixture at the new Sparda Bank Hessen Stadium. And there are also very friendly exchanges between the two clubs on social media platforms. There are constant mutually friendly posts on Twitter. The hashtag #BayerundderOFC is often used.
Get your tickets now
Tickets for the benefit game are available from the OFC fan shop, the ticket hotline on 0049 (0)1803 019010 as well as from OFC ticket outlets (a list of ticket outlets is available at https://www.lms-ticket.de/ofc/ajax.aspx/text2.html).
We celebrate a fan friendship fest
The idea came about to close the visitors’ section for this match to allow Leverkusen fans to mix with home support in the Kickers home blocks to celebrate the 35-year-old fan friendship. In keeping with the motto: “We are celebrating a fan friendship fest.”
The match is a great event bringing benefits to OFC and the unusual fan friendship. OFC invites all Bayer 04 fans to enjoy this special match alongside the Kickers fans. The visitors’ stand (blocks 14 to 17) remains closed on this night to celebrate the 35-year-old fan friendship! There are no opponents in this match on the pitch or in the stands. The main, Henninger and the Waldemar Klein stands are open.
Nationwide stadium bans apply
Please note: As announced by OFC on their website, nationwide stadium bans apply on Tuesday night.
“In general, nationwide stadium bans apply for all friendly fixtures. This applies to home and away games. Anyone attending friendly fixtures subject to a current stadium ban is liable to the same legal consequences as attending a competitive fixture. We therefore ask fans to heed this advice.”
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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