It remains to be seen when the Werkself fans will be allowed to support their team on home turf again. But what is certain: Whenever the BayArena is able to welcome back spectators, a number of changes will be evident.
The biggest, visible change will be above the heads of the spectators: The scoreboards in the South and North Stands are to be replaced. The new ones are, at 97 square metres, bigger than the previous models from 2009 (68 square metres) and also guarantee a better picture quality. Also new: The scoreboard in the South Stand will be sited a floor higher on the fourth floor. That will improve visibility for the spectators.
Coming to the BayArena will be even more of a pleasure for disabled fans in the future. The seats for visually impaired fans in Block H will have a wider access with handrails to make it easier to get to the seat, the toilet or snack bar. The so-called ‘Big and Tall’ seats will be further enlarged, fitted with a handrail and have more legroom.
Following the renewal of the flooring in the stairwells in the West Stand, it is now the turn for access points in the East Stand. The new surface is more non-slip and will provide a safer environment in wet weather. And the look fits in perfectly with the Werkself: The stairwells will shine in Black and Red splendour in future. The balustrades in the second and third floors and the doors on the bottom floor will also receive a new coat of paint.
The Werkself players can also look forward to several changes. The first team squad will have a new kitchen on the third floor in close proximity to the ‘Werkstatt’. Chefs Alexander Wagner and Domenik Kulisch will be able to cook for Lars Bender and Co. under ideal conditions.
Training pitches 2 and 3 will also be returfed to provide good and reliable training conditions. All the turf including subsoil will be replaced.
The majority of the planned building works are already in train. The last of the craftspeople will have left the BayArena by the end of August.
“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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