
The Lower Rhine company DERBYSTAR this morning presented the official match ball for the next Bundesliga campaign. As with this season, two striking colours dominate – next term it is dark blue and orange. The material of the new Bundesliga Brillant APS is identical to its predecessor.

DERBYSTAR has provided the Bundesliga official match ball since 2018/19 and recently agreed a contract extension with the DFL to 2026.
Before the new season in Germany’s top flight kicks off, this summer sees the European Championships played across the continent. As confirmed by the German Football Association (DFB) on Tuesday, Germany coach Joachim Löw will announce his preliminary squad for the tournament on 19 May. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 61-year-old will be able to take 26 players to the Euros this year – three more than usual. Löw will reveal his final squad on 1 June with the opening match being played on 11 June. The first game for Germany is four days later against the World Cup winners France. The other group opponents are Portugal (19 June) and Hungary (23 June).
The long-time Werkself player Michael Ballack (1999 to 2002 and 2010 to 2012) will be the TV pundit on MagentaSport for the European Championships in the summer. The former midfield maestro can call on his expertise gained from 267 Bundesliga appearances plus 98 international caps.

The Telekom sports broadcaster will show all the Euro games live, including ten exclusively. There will be up to ten hours of coverage every day.
And last but not least, we have a Black and Red TV tip for you: Bayer 04 will show all the highlights of the Werkself Bundesliga matches on the club’s YouTube channel free of charge. Click HERE for action from the game at Werder Bremen (0-0).

The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
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The Werkself will host VfB Stuttgart at the BayArena on matchday 16 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The game is on Saturday, 10 January, at 18:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
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The Werkself will host Werder Bremen at the BayArena on matchday 19 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The game is on Saturday, 24 January, at 15:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
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In the sixth and final match of the league phase of the UEFA Youth League 2025/26, the Bayer 04 U19s have a great opportunity to advance to the knockout phase of Europe’s most prestigious youth competition for the first time. To achieve that under their own steam, they will need a win against Newcastle United at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/ free admission). In an interview with bayer04.de, managing director sport Simon Rolfes analyses the team's performances so far and their special situation. And the 43-year-old reveals what he would be happy to do without on the day of the match.
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The next opponents in the 2025/26 DFB Pokal have been announced: Bayer 04 will host Bundesliga rivals FC St. Pauli in the quarter-finals. That was the outcome of the draw held this Sunday evening, 7 December, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund, where long-time Bundesliga player and coach Friedhelm Funkel made the draw. The Werkself will play their quarter-final tie on 3-4 or 10-11 February 2026. The exact dates have yet to be finalised.
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