This is a joint action of the German Football League (DFL) and the clubs. Head coach Gerardo Seoane spoke about developments in Eastern Europe at the pre-match press conference, clearly affected by the situation: "Of course, it's a subject of discussion in the dressing room for all the players and coaches plus the staff. Seeing images like that is a great shock to all of us. We condemn war in any form and are convinced that everything should be done to get back to the diplomatic path to find a solution without war."
Moreover, Bayer 04 has decided to show our feelings towards the war in Eastern Europe in and around the game. A number of entertainment elements will be dropped and no carnival music will be played. The club asks for your understanding.
Today's match against Arminia Bielefeld will be refereed by Martin Petersen. The 36-year-old was in charge of his first game in the Bundesliga in 2017. With the estate agent in charge, the Werkself have a record in the Bundesliga of one win, one draw and one defeat. The most recent Leverkusen match under Petersen was on 13 December 2020 and that ended in a 4-1 home win against TSG Hoffenheim.
The match official from Stuttgart will be assisted by Alexander Sather and Robert Kempter, Felix Zwayer is the VAR referee. Have a good game.
Werkself LIVE gives Black and Red fans the chance to get the most important information on the current matchday ahead of the kick-off against the team lying fourteenth in the table. The programme is available at the BayArena – alternatively it is also online. This season's new Bayer 04 matchday magazine provides interesting facts and stats on the game between the Werkself and the team from East Westphalia. On the back there is a poster of Paulinho. Click HERE for the e-paper.
Alternative Werkself Radio: As Niko Hartmann and Cedric Pick are unable to report on the match between the Werkself and Bielefeld at the BayArena due to illness, reporters from the Bayer 04 radio service for the visually impaired will commentate on the full 90 minutes. 22 years ago, Bayer 04 were pioneers in the Bundesliga and since then live reporting for all visually impaired Bayer 04 fans has been an essential part of every matchday.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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