
The man in the dark blue denim shirt looks into the eyes of readers with a confident and mischievous expression – Florian Wirtz is on the cover of the new Werkself-Magazin. ‘Der Straßenkicker’ (street footballer) is the headline on the report about the 20-year-old German international who has matured into a leader under the Cross this term and not just as a goalscorer of wonderful goals and brilliant assists but also an impressive midfield dynamo. The article on Wirtz is just one of the stories worth reading about the Werkself players: In a big interview, Alejandro Grimaldo reveals many interesting insights, and talks about his improved performances, the influence of diet on his form, his time at Barcelona and explains how his spectacular shooting technique works.“

"A defender who stands out" – this headline is above a portrait of Odilon Kossounou, who has developed brilliantly at the Werkself this season and is currently unavailable to the team due to the Africa Cup of Nations. Edition 45 of the Werkself-Magazin also contains an interview with Werner Wenning who has chaired the shareholders committee of Bayer 04 Fußball GmbH for 14 years. The Opladen-born club official talks about his own role, his great confidence in the management, a handshake with Xabi Alonso as well as the increased value of the club.
The historically successful Hinrunde for Bayer 04 with all the records and impressive numbers is listed in detail as well as other interesting facts from the Black and Red world: Patrik Schick describes his ideal player, Lukas Hradecky reveals which shirt has found pride of place on his living room wall. The upturn for the Leverkusen U19 team is also mentioned in the magazine as is the record to date of the Bayer 04 Women with striker Nikola Karczewska also sharing insights and trends from her home country of Poland. And readers can also learn what is in the memory box that Bayer 04 is taking to the senior citizens homes in the city.
All that and much more, full of fascinating photos as usual, is available as recommended reading for Bayer 04 fans in edition 45 of the Werkself-Magazin. The magazine has already been sent out to members and is now also available online.
Click here for the Werkself-Magazin #45!
The Werkself-Magazin has some new technical functions to make browsing even easier. These functions and how to use them are contained in the PDF document.

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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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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