
Bayer 04 is showing its true colours: As with World Prematurity Day (purple) and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (orange), the BayArena will again be lit up today. As part of the 15th Rare Disease Day, the Leverkusen home ground will be lit up from 18.30 CET in the colours pink, blue, green and purple changing every minute. The Werkself is thereby making a clear statement for a diverse society.
Background to the day of action: 300 million people worldwide live with chronic and rare diseases. Since 2008, the umbrella organisation of the Allianz Chronischer Seltener Erkrakungen e.V. (ACHSE) in Germany raises awareness of the campaign every year on the last day in February and calls for more research, therapies and treatments as well as a better, longer life for those affected. In addition, the campaign is also about social acceptance and participation. Many of the 8,000 diseases classified as "rare" are associated in part with severe physical and mental disability.
Back to sport: Following the fifth win in the seventh Bundesliga match for Bayer 04 in 2022, several Werkself players have received praise in the media. Kicker awarded top marks for the performances by Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby and Edmond Tapsoba And the trio were also named in the kicker team of the matchday. Wirtz and Diaby are also included in the side named by the BILD newspaper.
TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen can look back at a successful weekend: The athletes won gold, silver and bronze at the German Indoor Championships in Leipzig. Congratulations to the medal winners Torben Blech, Bianca Stichling, Christoph Garritsen, Mateusz Przybylko, Judith Franzen, Franziska Schuster, Amelie Dierke and Annkathrin Hoven.
Bayer 04 as the first club abroad: The Polish centre-forward Arkadiusz Milik decided to join Leverkusen at the age of 18 in January 2013. The 6 foot 1 forward played for the Black and Reds for six months before loan periods at FC Augsburg and Ajax a season later. He signed for the top Dutch club in the summer of 2015. After being at Napoli, Milik is now playing for Olympique Marseille in France – and he has scored 16 goals in 26 games. The former Werkself player today celebrates his 28th birthday. Many happy returns.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed a loan deal with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach for Argentinian striker Alejo Sarco. The 20-year-old joins Mönchengladbach with immediate effect for the rest of the season.
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After their first win on matchday 6 in the UCL league phase, Olympiacos are still in with a good chance of reaching the play-offs in the UEFA Champions League. The 2024 UEFA Conference League winners will be looking to go one better in their home match against Bayer 04 this Tuesday, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), but their stop scorer is unavailable. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Panagiotis, known as Panos, Retsos wore the Bayer 04 jersey for three years. Including his loan spells, he was under contract with the Werkself for a total of four and a half years. "It's a very special club for me," said the 27-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club Olympiacos in 2022, in an interview with bayer04.de. The former Leverkusen man is now captain and a first choice for the Werkself's next opponents in the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the clash on Tuesday night, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Retsos talks about his fond memories of his time in Leverkusen and the imminent reunion with some of his former team-mates. He also talks about who brought him to Leverkusen and why he likes getting older.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without goalkeeper Mark Flekken and forward Nathan Tella for the time being.
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