Werkself fans have cast their votes on Social Media voting: Aleksandar Dragovic, scorer of the winner in the 2-1 victory at Arminia Bielefeld, was the Man of the Match at the Alm. The performance of the Austria international, who replaced Sven Bender on 50 minutes, was recognised by kicker. The sports journal named ‘Drago’ in their Team of the Day.
Bild Zeitung opted for the second goalscorer in the match in East Westphalia: Leon Bailey. The Jamaican opened the scoring on 27 minutes. It is the second time our number nine has been named this season.
A pleasurable sight: The 2-1 victory against Arminia Bielefeld was the fifth league win in succession. As the rivals from Leipzig ‘only’ picked up one point in a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, the team under head coach Peter Bosz are now third in the table on 18 points. The Black and Reds are level on points with second-placed Borussia Dortmund and the champions Bayern Munich are one point ahead of the Werkself after their 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen. It’s tight at the top.
The Bayer 04 eSports players have another double matchday: On Tuesday 24 November, the Leverkusen console players have two games in the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) against clubs in the real second division. The first match at 18.00 CET against Hamburg SV is followed by the game against VfL Bochum at 20.00 CET.
The live show on the club’s Bayer 04 Twitch channel starts at 17.45 CET. Log on and support the #B04eSports players.
Make a note: It kicks off on Tuesday 24 November. Up to 29 November, there are great daily offers for Werkself fans at the Bayer 04 fan shops. Call in every day to make sure you don’t miss out on any offers. There a shirt special on the first day of the Black and Red week of offers – up to 40% discount is available. Anybody thinking of becoming a Bayer 04 member should not miss the opportunity to finally join up at a great price. Click HERE for the online shop.
He was born in Brühl in 1948 and, from 1976 to 2004, he worked in different roles at Bayer 04. Reiner Calmund celebrated his 72nd birthday on Monday and the Werkself wish him many happy returns. 16 years after his departure from under the Bayer Cross, ‘Calli’ is still a legend and popular figure with the fans. He started his Black and Red career as a youth leader and stadium announcer before rising to become a board member and general manager and in 1999 he was the first CEO at Bayer 04 Fußball GmbH. Calmund made his mark on the club as the ‘manager and decision-maker’ and he played a significant role in the club’s biggest successes – the UEFA Cup title in 1988, winning the DFB Cup in 1993, four runners-up finishes and reaching the Champions League final in 2002.
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
