In the twelfth minute, the referee Florian Jäger abandoned the match at the Alois Latini Stadium on Lake Zell due to heavy thunderstorm. With clear weather at the kick-off a storm drew in with thunder and lightning making it impossible to carry on playing the friendly for health and safety reasons.
The Werkself looked good up to the point play was halted with the best chance in this brief encounter falling to Kyriakos Papadopoulos. A corner from Hakan Calhanoglu was headed against the bar by the Greece central defender. He attempted to score with the rebound but the Teutonia keeper Yannik Dauth pulled off a great save. The two teams raced to the changing rooms shortly after that and the final decision to abandon the game came 15 minutes later.
The next friendly for Roger Schmidt and his team is on Thursday night. The Italian top-flight club Fiorentina provide the opposition in an 18.00 CET kick-off at the Alois Latini Stadium. Before that, the Werkself will be working hard in training in Zell am See-Kaprun to ensure being fully fit for the start of the season with the first match on 21 August away to SC Hauenstein in the DFB Cup.
Match stats:
Bayer 04: Lomb – Jedvaj, Papadopoulos, Ramalho, Wendell – Aránguiz, Yurchenko – Öztunali, Calhanoglu, Mehmedi – Pohjanpalo.
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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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Bayern 04 Women have confirmed another summer signing, with midfielder Paulina Platner moving to Leverkusen from SGS Essen. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Werkself.
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The German Football League (DFL) has shortlisted Martin Terrier’s scorpion kick goal against 1. FC Köln for the 2025/26 Bundesliga Goal of the Season. Bayer 04 fans can vote for their favourite goal via the Bundesliga app from now until Monday 25 May (23:59 CEST).
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Bayer 04 will be preparing young talents for a potential sporting career in an even more systematic way in future. The club is breaking new ground to help develop their academic, social and personal skills as well. With the ‘Haus der Talente' or 'Talent House’, Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH is creating a new centre for the development of young athletes in a central location in Leverkusen. Once completed – expected to be in the summer of 2027 – the project will be run in partnership with TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e.V.
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