Fernando Carro, CEO at the Werkself, is looking forward to the partnership: “We have found an innovative partner in Castore whose ambitions very much fit in with Bayer 04. Both the quality of the products as well as the digital and international approach of the company has impressed us. Together with Castore, we want to set new standards in the future primarily in the areas of sponsorship and target group activation.”
Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore, said: “It‘s a significant step for us to start working in the German market with an internationally oriented club with such a history. When we set up Castore the vision of my brother and I was to see world-class athletes wear our products and now we have taken another important step in that direction. It’s an honour that Bayer 04 have chosen Castore. Our values and ambition of wanting to be the best go perfectly together.”
Castore was founded in 2015 and quickly established a reputation as a young and dynamic start-up in the premium sportswear sector. The brand has become well-known through a partnership with Wimbledon and Olympic winner Andy Murray who is now a shareholder in the company. In football, Castore partners with Rangers FC, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and have also just launched a Formula One partnership with McLaren Racing. Bayer 04 will be the first club in the Bundesliga to have a partnership with the British company.
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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