"The health ministers of the states join the federal health minister in the firm conviction that it is not possible to open the stadiums for spectators against the background of the pandemic," was contained in a press release after the meeting of the Conference of Health Ministers (GM K) on Monday night. The German Football League (DFL) reacted to the political decision on Tuesday. The "main priority" obviously remains the "containment of the coronavirus." At the same time, it should be "the target in all areas of life to endeavour to return in the direction of normality. The DFL and the clubs from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 will accordingly continue to prepare as best as possible for the return of spectators to stadiums."
The 36 professional clubs in Germany had recently agreed a plan for the return of spectators during the coronavirus pandemic. The plan envisaged no standing and no alcohol sales until the end of October, a ban on away fans to the end of the year plus the collection of all contact details. The new Bundesliga is set to start on 18 September.
RTL broadcast the quarter-final clash between the Werkself and Inter Milan on Monday night free to air. An average of 3.31 million viewers watched the Black and Reds lose 2-1 against the Nerazzurri, which represents a market share of 14 per cent. At the peak, up to four million viewers watched the German-Italian knockout match.
This question has now become as obligatory at a press conference with Peter Bosz as his "assessment of the match" or questions about player availability: What is the future for Kai Havertz? And, of course, crystal ball gazing was on the agenda after the game against Inter Milan. Bosz handled it with humour: "Yes, I can inform you that Kai Havertz will play for Heracles Almelo next season." Why Almelo? Bosz coached the Dutch top-flight club for three years before moving on to Vitesse Arnhem in the summer of 2013. Up to now, Almelo is the club where the 56-year-old has been in the dugout for the most matches. Bosz' former club reacted to the statement with a humorous post on social media:
In almost tropical temperatures by the River Dhünn, the traditional kick-off event at the Leverkusen sports college took place – even if under restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the open air and wearing masks, the 24 'newcomers’ born between 2003 and 2005 gained their first impressions ahead of the start of the new academic year. "This event serves to give them all the necessary information," explained Steffi Nerius, the head of the sports college. "Our aim is to combine high-performance sports with education through optimum time management."
The new arrivals are Aaron, Amin, Ayman, Chiara, Giancarlo, Joyce, Luca, Marcel, Sadik, Sofie, Tiago, Volkan (football), Allegra, Luca, Edy, Lukas, Simon (athletics), Christin, Sophie, Nele (handball), Lukka, Milton (basketball), Tim and Svenja (fencing).
“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
Show more
It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
Show more
“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
Show more
Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
Show more
Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
Show more
