Simon Rolfes, managing director sport at Bayer 04, commented on the awards for Kennet Eichhorn and Francis Onyeka: “The gold medals for Kennet and Francis are fantastic personal accolades. You can’t get any better than this in youth football in Germany. They’ve made their mark at a very early stage in professional football and have absolutely earned it. They are outstanding players in their respective age groups. Francis has even received the medal for the second time. He is now part of our Future Team. He has played for Bayer 04 since he was a child, and this is, of course, of particular significance to us.”
Overview of 2025/26 award winners:
U19 (male): Francis Onyeka (gold), Boris Mamuzah Lum (silver), Mick Schmetgens (bronze)
U17 (male): Kennet Eichhorn (gold), Cassiano Kiala (silver), Louis Lemke (bronze)
At Bayer 04, Eichhorn and Onyeka have followed in illustrious footsteps as winners of the Fritz Walter Medal: In 2015, Jonathan Tah won gold in the U19 category, and Benjamin Henrichs achieved the same feat in 2016. Two years later, Kai Havertz was selected, also in the U19 category. In 2020 (U17) and 2022 (U19), Florian Wirtz also received the gold award on each occasion.
Overview of winners of the Fritz Walter Medal from Bayer Leverkusen:
2026: Kennet Eichhorn (U17/Gold), Francis Onyeka (U19/Gold – on loan at SV Elversberg)
2024: Francis Onyeka (U17/Gold), Loreen Bender (U19 female/Gold)
2022: Florian Wirtz (U19/Gold), Lisanne Gräwe (U19 female/Gold), Clara Fröhlich (U17 female/Gold)
2020: Florian Wirtz (U17/Gold)
2018: Kai Havertz (U19/Gold)
2016: Benjamin Henrichs (U19/Gold); Kai Havertz (U17/Silver)
2015: Jonathan Tah (U19/Gold)
2014: Julian Brandt (U18/Gold); Levin Öztunali (U18/Silver)
2013: Dominik Kohr (U19/bronze)
2012: Dominik Kohr (U18/bronze)
2010: Kolja Pusch (U17/bronze)
2008: Marcel Risse (U19/bronze); Richard Sukuta-Pasu (U18/bronze)
2007: Stefan Reinartz (U18/bronze); Nils Teixeira (U17/bronze)
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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The Werkself have reached at least the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal in each of the last three years. The Black-and-Reds would like to make it to the final four of the competition again this season, but to do that they'll need to overcome 1. FC Nürnberg in round two, who travel to the BayArena with momentum following a successful league campaign so far. However, Bayer have a 100 percent record at home in all competitions this season - and have also won six of their last seven home matches in the Pokal. The Matchday News.
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Back at home in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal, Bayer 04 host FC Nürnberg at the BayArena. The match against the current second-placed side in Bundesliga 2 is on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45 CET. Ahead of the game, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about his anticipation of the clash in front of a home crowd. The Spaniard also commented on a number of personnel matters, including Ibrahim Maza and Montrell Culbreath, plus the visitors’ coach, Miroslav Klose.
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Now in their third season under head coach Miroslav Klose, FC Nürnberg are among the promotion contenders in Bundesliga 2. On Wednesday 28 October (kick-off: 20:45 CET), the team currently second in the table are away to Bayer 04 in the second round of the DFB Pokal. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Werkself player Ibrahim Maza has been named in the top ten in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category for 2026. The 20-year-old was at the London Palladium on Monday evening for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, also attended the ceremony. Lamine Yamal of Barcelona was named the winner in the ‘Men’s Young Talent of the Year’ category.
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