Four more reports on the new Werkself shirt follow this week.
THE BADGE
A lion was the first trademark of the Bayer AG company over 150 years ago. The design was taken from the coat of arms of Eberfeld, home to the Friedrich Bayer & Co factories. The historic logo provided a source of inspiration for the JAKO designer David Blanch.
The lion image from the 1800s forms part of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen club badge. If you stroke your fingers across it it you can feel fine lines that reflect the look of that historic image.
THE LEVERKUSEN SKYLINE
One special detail on the new Bayer 04 shirt is on the inside of the collar. JAKO designer David Blanch has selected iconic buildings in Leverkusen to produce a skyline design.
On the left are Leverkusen terraced houses. Next to that is the facade of the BayArena with its familiar roof structure. The Lindner Hotel is in front of that.
The water tower is the largest element. The Bayer cross next to it is slightly smaller. Then comes the coach house and the town hall with Schloss Morsbroich on the extreme right.
ELEVEN STRIPES
WE ARE TEAM is the motto of the official kit supplier to Bayer 04 Leverkusen. JAKO have incorporated that concept in the new Werkself shirt. Eleven pin stripes are included on the chest to reflect the eleven players in the Leverkusen side. #TeamWerkself
The design of the kit is made more dynamic with different forms of stripes on the whole shirt. Lines are visible from the chest to the seam.
The team ethic is in the DNA of both partners. The JAKO company has built its success on a very close relationship with customers, retailers and partners alike. That is evident in the new Werkself shirt.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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