It got loud at the BayArena 20 minutes into the Bundesliga home opener for the Werkself against RB Leipzig. Midfielder Kerem Demirbay plucked up courage, unleashed a shot from 25 yards out and put the ball in the back of the RB net with the help of the underside of the bar. A goal from that distance and that angle, with four players in the way the shot? According to the xGoals statistic, which calculates the probability of a goal based on eight criteria, almost impossible! With a probability of only 2.23%, Demirbay's goal was the most difficult to score on matchday two. Hats off...
For the interview of the month with the German Football League (DFL), number one keeper Lukas Hradecky swapped the football for billiard balls. In the VIP entrance to the West Stand, the Finn played Patrick Owomoyela at the pool table. Who put the number eight in the right hole will be revealed in October at bundesliga.de.
Two Brazilians, two Argentinians, one Chilean and most recently one Colombian – the current Werkself squad as a number of South Americans. Since Tita arrived in Leverkusen in 1987, Bayer 04 attracted keen audience from the other side of the equator. For the Werkself fans in the football mad continent, there is now good news: Charles Aránguiz and Co. will soon be live on TV. The Berlin media company OneFootball have acquired the live rights to the Bundesliga for nine Spanish-speaking countries in South America, including Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. The contract is for the 2020/21 season. A similar partnership was agreed with Brazil two weeks ago.
The Day of German Unity on 3 October is a special public holiday in 2020: On the 30th anniversary of reunification there will be a wide range of events across Germany. And Bayer 04 is dedicating a theme week to this turning point in German-German history. A multi-media series on bayer04.de makes it clear: The fall of the Berlin Wall was a lucky break for the Werkself.
Part 1: Opening contribution ‘30 years of reunification: A lucky break for Bayer 04’
Part 2: A final time for the GDR – ‘Scholles’ game for the history books
Part 3: Interview with Reiner Calmund: ‘I had tears in my eyes'
The signing of the former GDR internationals Andreas Thom and Ulf Kirsten definitely count as big success stories. Bayer 04 with general manager Reiner Calmund brought the two attacking players to Leverkusen shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It should have been a trio with Matthias Sammer. "Everything was clear to me that the contract was already signed," explain the now 53-year-old in a recent interview with Bild. "There were then headlines like 'Bayer are buying up the East'. I have to admit it had an effect on me." So he asked Calmund to withdraw the contract. The Leverkusen main man agreed – and Sammer ended up at VfB Stuttgart instead of the Werkself.
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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