How hopeful are you that spectators in NRW, and Leverkusen in particular, will soon be able to return to the grounds?
We have established the preconditions and we’re fighting for the return of fans. We have submitted a viable plan to the Leverkusen public health department and that has been well received. Now it’s down to the NRW state government and the local health authorities. The Federal Chancellor and the Minister Presidents have also set up a working party. We hope that they will be able to present a national solution as soon as possible so that we can play in front of more than 300 fans at the BayArena. We’re ready here at Bayer 04.
The states are allowing different numbers of spectators. Do you see that as competitive distortion?
That’s the wrong approach. We all want fans to return to the stadia. It’s just not the same without them. Therefore, I’m happy if individual states and authorities assume responsibility and take courageous decisions and thus send out positive signals for a normality that will benefit every club in the end
Have there been discussions with the DFL about all clubs playing behind closed doors until a single solution has been found for all the states?
The federal structure in Germany, which I’m very much in favour of, does not permit that at the moment. The DFL and all clubs are clear that the return of spectators has to done step-by-step. There are different regulations and we accept that. It’s much more important to do your own homework and be prepared as much as possible. We’ve done that and the feedback from health experts has been positive. We’re waiting for a green light from the politicians and we would want the courage for the coming weeks that others have already shown.
“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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