Exequiel Palacios celebrated an extremely successful comeback to the first team at the Easter weekend: The Argentinian was back in the Werkself line-up for a Bundesliga game for the first time since 1 November of last year. After three appearances from matchday four to matchday six, the 22-year-old suffered a lumbar vertebra fracture in an international fixture. He was back on the subs bench for the last eight games but did not come on.
Hannes Wolf opted to play 'Pala' in his first game in charge of the Black and Reds – and his inclusion was justified with a hard-working and ball-winning performance. In the 2-1 home win against Schalke 04, the Argentinian lined up alongside skipper Charles Aránguiz in holding midfield and he played the full 90 minutes. The Rheinische Post reported that Palacios showed "aggression in challenges and great commitment."
Werkself fans also expressed their enthusiasm for the performance of the midfielder as they voted him Man of the Match on the club's Twitter account. Congratulations, ‘Pala’.
In the fan vote for the Leverkusen Goal of the Month for March, presented by like2drive, one of the youngest players in the Bayer 04 Women's team came out on top. 17-year-old Chiara Bücher scored with a long-range effort to make it 2-0 in the away game at MSV Duisburg. Congratulations, Chiara! You can watch a video of the goal HERE.
Benjamin Adam, coach of the Bayer 04 U13s, gave an impromptu lecture at the request of the Federation of German Football Coaches (BDFL) at their second online congress. As part of this two-day digital event, Adam spoke about the following subject on Saturday, 10 April: "The will to win: The secret of the matchwinner – performance development between competition and training."
Other speakers included Bernhard Peters (formerly at Hamburg SV and TSG Hoffenheim) and the Germany U20 coach Guido Streichsbier.
Secure a Werkself match worn shirt. As part of the #Morethanfootball Action Weeks, all the Bayer 04 shirts from the home game against Schalke 04 (2-1) will be auctioned. The proceeds will go to the Wildpark Reuschenberg via the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Sportförderung gGmbH. The shirts worn by Sven Bender, Leon Bailey and Co. are up for auction up to 17 April. HERE is the link to the auction platform.
This clash was a milestone on the way to the UEFA Cup win for the Werkself in 1987/88: Exactly 33 years ago, Bayer 04 played Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen in the first leg of the semi-final tie. The only goal of the game was scored by a player who was not renowned for his goalscoring ability in his professional career. A detailed review and associated TV report on the game can be found HERE.
Happy 47th birthday, Robert Kovac. The Berliner played for Bayer 04 from 1996 to 2001 making 162 appearances for the Werkself. After his time at Leverkusen, the 84-time Croatia international moved on to Bayern Munich, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Dinamo Zagreb. Kovac ended his playing career in 2010 and then became a coach.
The former central defender has also made a name for himself in this role: He joined his brother Niko as an assistant coach; they worked for the Croatia national team, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and, since the summer of last year, AS Monaco. The Kovac brothers are coaching the former Werkself player Kevin Volland. Monaco are currently third in Ligue 1 and are in the thick of the title race.
His one-year stay at Bayer 04 was his first club outside South America: In 2011/12, the Werkself signed Colombian Michael Ortega on loan from Atlas Guadalajara. The attacking midfielder made seven Bundesliga appearances in that time. In the following season, Ortega – also on loan – played for VfL Bochum before returning to South America. The former Leverkusen player is 30 today (Tuesday). Bayer 04 wish him a happy birthday.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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