…his first impressions of Bayer 04: The players, staff and management – have all been really nice to me and they made me feel positive straight away. I’d like to thank everybody for that. It was a good start for me here in Leverkusen. Now it’s all about continuing to work hard and fulfilling expectations.
…his style of play: I left my home country of the Netherlands for England at the age of 16. Before that, I’d already been in the youth teams at Ajax for eight years. They gave me a very good footballing education. I’d describe my playing style as a mix of Dutch and English football. Both the experiences from my time at Ajax and the time at Manchester United help my game to continue developing now.
…the advantage of having a fellow Dutchman as head coach at Bayer 04 in Peter Bosz: Of course, it’s a positive. But the main reason for my decision to join Bayer 04 was the club as a whole. Simon Rolfes and the other members of management explained the club’s approach to the game and they gave me a positive feeling from the start.
…his departure from Manchester: Unfortunately, I was injured for a long time from the end of my loan period at Fulham (2018/19, ed.). After my torn cruciate, Solskjaer (Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, ed.) gave me the chance of another season. I’m very grateful to him for that. But you have to play regularly at my age. And unfortunately that wasn’t the case at the end. That made the move in the winter a good decision.
…the influence of his schoolmate and United teammate Marcus Rashford, who’s known for his massive social commitment: What Marcus has achieved off the pitch in the past few years is wonderful and absolutely impressive. He has inspired a lot of people with his ideas and projects, including me. I wanted to help out in my hometown Amsterdam and, above all at the start of the pandemic, I supported a lot of families with food and other needs of daily life. The feedback from the people moved me and really pleased me.
…similarities between Bayer 04 and the English record champions Manchester United: Both clubs have a great reputation all over Europe. They both also have very experienced management who are extremely professional.
…winning the Europa League final in 2017 with Manchester United against Ajax then under head coach Peter Bosz: I haven’t talked to him about the game yet. But I don’t think he’d like to talk about it. (He laughs) We have a chance of winning that title with Bayer 04 this season. And I also hope to be able to experience the feeling of triumph this season for the club, the fans and our coach. Bayer 04 did very well in the Europa League last season and were unlucky to get knocked out by Inter Milan in the end. I hope we will all be able to celebrate together this year.
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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