The #Morethanfootball banner will be seen when the teams come on and the LED displays around the pitch will draw attention to the Action Weeks. This year, Werkself player Robert Andrich together with Juliane Wirtz of the Bayer 04 Women’s team are official ambassadors for the campaign: "Football is more than just 90 minutes. I've been impressed by the many projects already running here at Bayer 04 on a wide range of themes – whether that's diversity, sustainability or inclusion. For me that's an essential element these days," said Andrich. "As a football club you have the chance to use your charisma for important community and social issues. It's about responsibility and active tolerance – on and off the pitch. That's what we stand for."
The #Morethanfootball Action Weeks run to 14 April. The Werkself introduced projects on the subjects of social inclusion and awareness a few days ago. In the coming weeks the other areas to be covered include accessibility, sustainability and climate protection plus mental health. And the Bayer 04 Women's team are also dedicating tomorrow's home game against TSG Hoffenheim (kick-off: 16.00 CEST) to the Action Weeks.
The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Dr. Matthias Jöllenbeck as the referee for today’s game against Hertha Berlin. The 35-year-old match official has refereed the Werkself once before this season: January's 2-2 draw at home to Union Berlin. His assistant referees are Christof Günsch and Jonas Weickenmeier with Pascal Müller on VAR duty. Have a good game.
Finally there are no crowd restrictions for home games at the BayArena. The capacity at the BayArena of 30,210 is again permitted and standing will return in the home and away ends. The 3G rule does apply in accordance with the Coronavirus Protection Order, there is no obligation to wear a mask in the open air but we do advise wearing a face covering and it is still required indoors. Further information on Home game FAQs.
Ahead of the match against the club from the capital, Black and Red fans can get up-to-date with important matchday information with the help of Werkself LIVE. The programme can be obtained at the BayArena – alternatively it is available free online. This season's Bayer 04 matchday magazine provides interesting stats and facts on the game. On the back of the printed version for #B04BSC there is a poster of Karim Bellarabi. Click HERE for the e-paper.
Anybody unable to attend the game at the BayArena can follow proceedings on the Werkself Radio. There is also up-to-date information on the live text commentary service. Both the radio and text commentary are available at bayer04.de or on the new Bayer 04 app – check-in for the action.
For the home game at the BayArena against Hertha Berlin on Saturday 2 April (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), there will be a large number of closures affecting S-Bahn and motorway traffic due to the work on infrastructure for the Rhein-Ruhr-Express: S-Bahn trains between Cologne and Düsseldorf terminate at the Chempark station. From here there is a replacement bus service to Langenfeld – the same applies in the other direction. All spectators planning to travel by rail are advised by Bayer 04 to take the RB 48 to the Leverkusen-Manfort station. From there there is a 20-minute walk to the BayArena.
From Friday 1 April (22.00 CEST) to Monday 11 April (05.00 CEST), the Willy-Brandt-Ring between Carl-Duisberg-Straße and Edith-Weyde-Straße will be completely closed to road traffic as well as pedestrians and cyclists. The motorway exit from the A3 interchange for Leverkusen city centre is closed. Diversions will be shown for road traffic.
Car drivers wanting to reach the Kurtekotten car park via the A3 should come off the motorway in Köln-Mülheim and head for the car park via the B8 in the direction of Leverkusen (Düsseldorfer Straße). Otto-Bayer-Straße is recommended for satnav use. Car drivers who have parking permits around the BayArena recommended to use the A3 taking the Leverkusen-Opladen exit. From there, the car parks (green and red) will be signposted.
Bayer 04 recommends all fans to arrive early at the game. The BayArena opens two hours before kick-off at 13.30 CEST.
Today's game between the Werkself and Hertha Berlin will be keenly followed by Tayfun Korkut on his 48th birthday given his past employment. The Stuttgart-born coach took over from Roger Schmidt in March 2017 and he coached the Werkself up to the end of the 2016/17 season.
His next job took the Turkish manager back to his home town and VfB Stuttgart and Korkut coached Leverkusen's opponents Hertha Berlin from November last year to two weeks ago. Many happy returns from Bayer 04.
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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