
One Werkself player can actually benefit from the suspension of matches due to the coronavirus pandemic: Kevin Volland. What the 27-year-old most needed after his injury blow was time. And he got it. It’s almost two months since Volland suffered an ankle injury in a challenge in the Europa League game against FC Porto, he then underwent an immediate operation and is now working on his recovery. After weeks of rehab in the Werkstatt at the BayArena, Volland is now back on the training ground and working with the ball again. The striker had almost written off the current season but now a comeback could be on the agenda if the season starts again.
He came into the world in 1994 – today, Mitchell Weiser celebrates his 26th birthday. Bayer 04 wish him a very happy and, above all, healthy birthday. In the morning, ‘Mitch’ received congratulations from his teammates – obviously with the prescribed social distancing – at the training session at the BayArena. The evening will provide the chance for a longer celebration as the Werkself have tomorrow off.
The squad under Peter Bosz returned to training at the club on 1 April in small groups – of course, following all regulations and adhering to the distancing rule. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar, medical director at Bayer 04, explains how it works – on bayer04.de.



The ranks of the honorary captains were extended by the addition of Rüdiger Vollborn and Stefan Kießling in the summer of 2019. bayer04.de is using the current period without games to say a big thank you to these Werkself legends. The six-part series comes to an end this Friday with a profile of Vollborn.
Former Bayer 04 player Dominik Kohr made his Bundesliga debut eight years ago to the day – and that was at Leverkusen. The Bayer 04 homegrown player made his first appearance at the age of 18 under coach Sascha Lewandowski in the 1-0 away win at TSG Hoffenheim when he replaced André Schürrle on 89 minutes – the first Bundesliga match of a total of 162 to date (54 for Bayer 04, 91 for FC Augsburg, 17 for Eintracht Frankfurt). Kohr left the Werkself in the summer to join Eintracht Frankfurt and he has made 29 appearances.


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