The news is out: New Bayer 04 keeper Lennart Grill, signed from third division FC Kaiserslautern, will wear the number 21 shirt. The 21-year-old ‘numerically’ follows midfielder Dominik Kohr who moved on from Bayer 04 to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer. Before Kohr, central defender Ömer Toprak was the Werkself number 21 for six years. Grill will join his new teammates for the first time on the pitch at the BayArena tonight, 23 July, with the number 21 on his training kit.
Sports journal kicker made a very positive assessment of the former FCK keeper in the second half of the third division campaign and included the new Leverkusen player in the ‘Outstanding’ category in their ranking of German football. After the first half of last season, he was in the second highest category as a ‘prospect’. The kicker assessment: “Possibly the best goalkeeper in the league on the line and the U21 international often kept Kaiserslautern in the game. If he can improve his presence in the box then he could have the potential to play in the Bundesliga.”
The first opponents, derby weekends and much more: The German Football League (DFL) will publish the fixtures for the 2020/21 Bundesliga season on 7 August. The top flight and the second division will kick off on 18 September and the Werkself plus the other 17 teams will end the season on 22 May. The late start to the season is due the suspension of the league last term due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday, DFB president Fritz Keller and the assistant general secretary Heike Ullrich will make the draw for the first round of the DFB Cup. This will be held on Sunday, 26 July, and broadcast live on the ARD programme ‘Sportschau’ from 18.30 CET.
It is possible the ball marked ‘Bayer 04 Leverkusen’ will not face a named opponent at the end of the draw this year – usually there is a lower league team opponent. Due to the suspension of play caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the list of teams for the first round is not yet complete. The majority of the finals in the state cups will be played on 22 August. The DFB Cup ties will be played between 11 and 14 September, a week before the Bundesliga starts.
Alejo Sarco has left Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join Sporting Gijón in Spain’s second division. Bayer 04 have secured a buy-back clause for the 20-year-old Argentine striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
Show more
Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
Show more
Bayer 04 will have to manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir for the time being.
Show more
