UEFA have appointed François Letexier as the match referee. The 32-year-old has already been in charge of three fixtures in the Champions League and one in the Europa League this term. The Frenchman has also previously refereed a match involving the Werkself: the 5-1 win away to the top Cypriot club AEK Larnaca in December 2018. Lucas Alario scored twice on the night and Paulinho also found the back of the net. The other two goals were scored by the Bayer 04 home-grown player Dominik Kohr (now at Mainz 05).
Letexier will be assisted at the BayArena by his fellow countrymen Mehdi Rahmouni and Jeremie Pignard. Have a good game.
The Werkself will tonight wear black armbands in honour of the long-standing DFB president Egidius Braun. The Rhinelander passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 97. Braun was president of the German Football Association from 1992 to 2001 and went on to be its honorary president. Rudi Völler, sporting managing director at Bayer 04: "Egidius Braun will never be forgotten as a person and also based on his social affairs commitments. My deep condolences to his family and friends."
The Eintracht Frankfurt team will also remember the long-standing football official at tonight's Round of 16 second leg match against Real Betis with the Eintracht players also wearing black armbands.
Black and Red fans can also catch catch up with important information on the match ahead of kick-off in the Europa League game against Atalanta with the help of Werkself LIVE. The matchday programme can be obtained at the BayArena – alternatively it is available free of charge online. This season's new Bayer 04 programme provides interesting facts and stats on the meeting with the North Italian club. On the back there is a poster of Edmond Tapsoba. HERE is the e-paper.
The North Italian team took up their base in Cologne on Wednesday and this morning players under coach Gian Piero Gasperini used the Sportpark Höhenberg for a warm-up session. The home ground of the third division team SC Viktoria Köln provided the stage for light training and the squad returned to the team hotel at 11.00 CET.
Based on the current coronavirus protection order from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 22,658 fans may currently attend matches at the BayArena, with no standing permitted. Spectators must wear – including at their own seats – a medical grade face covering. The 2G plus rule also applies. Further information is available in the FAQs on home games.
The Werkself have initiated the most vertical attacks (28) of all teams in the current Europa League campaign and scored the most goals as a result (5) – one of them in the first leg against Atalanta. More of the same please!
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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