“This news makes me very proud. My time at Bayer 04 Leverkusen was very formative for me, it was the most successful period of my life as a player,” emphasised 50-year-old Nowotny. “Back then, we were able to establish the club at the top of German football and also on the European football map. I'm particularly pleased that the honour now coincides with the club's greatest success, winning the 2024 Bundesliga.”
CEO Fernando Carro explained the award for the former Karlsruhe man as “a sign of our gratitude and recognition of his achievements. Jens Nowotny has worn the captain's armband the longest of all Leverkusen captains, a total of eight years. He is an important part of our history and is held in high esteem by our fans. We want to express this by making him an honorary captain.”
Managing director for sport Simon Rolfes justified the appointment of the former Germany international to this elite circle with the special skills that once characterised Nowotny as a player in black and red: “Jens was a world-class defender, incredibly quick, technically adept and strong in tackles. He was also a great leader. In a team with top stars like Lucio, Zé Roberto and Berbatov, he took matters into his own hands and led the way. He has earned this award.”
Nowotny was assistant coach to the Germany U17 team that won the World Cup in Indonesia in December 2023. The 48-time international still demonstrates his close ties to the Werkself today with regular appearances for the Bayer 04 veterans team.
The Bayer 04 honorary captains are Rüdiger Vollborn, Bernd Schneider, Ulf Kirsten, Carsten Ramelow, Simon Rolfes, Stefan Kießling, Lars Bender and Jens Nowotny (from 2024).
The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
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The Werkself will host VfB Stuttgart at the BayArena on matchday 16 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The game is on Saturday, 10 January, at 18:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
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The Werkself will host Werder Bremen at the BayArena on matchday 19 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The game is on Saturday, 24 January, at 15:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
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In the sixth and final match of the league phase of the UEFA Youth League 2025/26, the Bayer 04 U19s have a great opportunity to advance to the knockout phase of Europe’s most prestigious youth competition for the first time. To achieve that under their own steam, they will need a win against Newcastle United at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/ free admission). In an interview with bayer04.de, managing director sport Simon Rolfes analyses the team's performances so far and their special situation. And the 43-year-old reveals what he would be happy to do without on the day of the match.
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The next opponents in the 2025/26 DFB Pokal have been announced: Bayer 04 will host Bundesliga rivals FC St. Pauli in the quarter-finals. That was the outcome of the draw held this Sunday evening, 7 December, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, where long-time Bundesliga player and coach Friedhelm Funkel made the draw. The Werkself will play their quarter-final tie on 3-4 or 10-11 February 2026. The exact dates have yet to be finalised.
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