Bayer 04 against VfL Wolfsburg in front of 30,210 fans – that would be great! But the coronavirus pandemic continues to restrict public life in Germany and Bundesliga matches will be played behind closed doors at least until the end of the season. So, do what Jens Nowotny does: Follow the hygiene and safety regulations and take your 'regular berth' for the end of the season run-in. Do it like 'Jenne' and make yourself comfortable in front of the television to get behind the Werkself from home. Tonight’s match will be broadcast live on Sky. And, of course, Werkself Radio will again be there at the kick-off: Niko and Cedric are your commentators for the match – live and free of charge (in German) at bayer04.de or on the app. Highlights of the game will be shown on ARD Sportschau tonight at 22.45 CET.
Kick-off at the BayArena is at 20.30 CET – but it is worth getting into football mode half an hour earlier. From 20.00 CET, Bayer 04 again broadcast 'Spieltag -Die Show' live on YouTube to get the fans in the mood for the game. The guest this time is club legend Rüdiger Vollborn. We will also go over to our stadium announcers Pitti and Tobi at the BayArena for the team line-ups. Of course, Dirk Maverick will again sing the club anthem – joining in is welcome and desired! Then Werkself Radio will take over for the kick-off. Tune in!
Since last autumn, the Bayer 04 ground staff have had a machine that has come to the fore during the coronavirus pandemic. The UFC180 is like a grass cutter that transmits UV rays. "Due to the fact that certain pesticides are no longer approved, we've had to look round for new possibilities in looking after the pitch," explained Georg Schmitz, head groundsman at Bayer 04. And that's where the UFC180 comes in: The UV rays kill fungal infections before they can attack the grass. Scientists have also discovered that UV rays can destroy corona viruses. That means the BayArena pitch is now regularly ‘disinfected’. Schmitz and his team need one and a half hours to cover the whole pitch.
Referee Daniel Schlager is in charge of tonight's match between the Werkself and VfL Wolfsburg. For the match official from Hügelsheim in South Baden, it will be the 18th Bundesliga match in his career and the second game involving the Werkself. In January he refereed the home game against Fortuna Düsseldorf that ended in a 3-0 win for the Bosz team. Since the suspension of the league, instead of the previous two days notice, the DFB now announces the match officials on the day of the game after referees have been tested for coronavirus.
The former Bayer 04 player Peter Szech would have celebrated his 67th birthday today. Szech joined the then second division Bayer 04 in 1978/79. He played a big part in promotion to the top-flight with his 15 goals in his first season at Leverkusen. In a total of 153 appearances for the Werkself, the Essen-born player scored 39 goals. Szech died at the age of 60 as a result of a motorcycle accident on 3 March 2014.
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.
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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.
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Like last year, Bayer 04 Women held their summer training camp in Rieden. Coach Roberto Pätzold gives his assessment of the time in the Upper Palatinate, discusses the integration of the 11 new players and the unusual team building measures, gives his thoughts on the friendly and looks ahead to the start of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga season in August.
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Just in time for the start of the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Werkself will hold another open training session on Tuesday 21 July. The session at the BayArena is scheduled to start at 11:00 CEST and will again be available to watch in a live stream. The fans who are there can look forward to a very special surprise.
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Bayer 04 Women rounded off their one-week training camp in the Upper Palatinate with their second friendly win of pre-season. Coach Roberto Pätzold's side beat Czech top-flight outfit Slovan Liberec 6-0 in a match consisting of 4 x 30 minutes. Maja Sternad (8'), Caroline Kehrer (55'), Natasha Kowalski (67', 84') with two direct free kicks, Valentina Mädl (97') and Justine Brandau (107') scored the goals for Leverkusen at 1.FC Rieden's Fenstertechnik-Weinfurtner-Arena.
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