Empty seats, no support – home games at the BayArena have not been the same experience since the 4-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in March 2020. The fans are missing, the bond between the Werkself and the North Stand is impossible due to the pandemic. Derby wins against FC Köln could not be celebrated; the wins against Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach were good to watch but there was no explosion in atmosphere like the 4-3 win against BVB in February 2020 due to obvious reasons. This special situation has led to Charles Aránguiz and his teammates sending a direct message to the Werkself fans in a video.
He also used to wear the Werkself shirt: Sam Schreck joined Leverkusen as a promising talent from FC St Pauli in 2016. The then 17-year-old mostly trained with the first team initially but played the majority of his games for the U19s. The midfielder made his debut for the Werkself in the Europa league in the autumn of 2018. Schreck, who is 21 today, moved on to FC Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie in the summer of 2019. Up to now, he has made 33 appearances for the Green and Whites.
For the sporting managing director Rudi Völler, the Werkself campaign is simply "the best thing we've ever had." In the summer of 2007, Bayer 04 turned a long-standing perceived negative into a core value of our own self-image: The Bundesliga team was now officially known as the Werkself. The management asked themselves: What's so bad about the image of a works club? The answer was: Turn it round and consciously recognise the company and source of the name, Bayer AG. The change of image was an absolute hit.
The Werkself campaign won the marketing award for sports on 29 January 2008 at the twelfth ISPO Sports Sponsorship Congress in Munich. In front of over 1,000 representatives from the sports business scene, Bayer 04 managing director Wolfgang Holzhäuser plus players Bernd Schneider and René Adler received the award on behalf of Bayer Leverkusen Marketing GmbH. Leverkusen made an impression with a cheeky, ingenious and funny Werkself campaign. The campaign won out against a spot from EnBW and Air & Style; Barcelona, Hamburg SV and Borussia Dortmund did not make the first three.
Calling all Bayer 04 fans: The Werkself will play Pisa SC, newly promoted to Serie A, at the BayArena as part of the season opener. The clash with the club from Tuscany is on Tuesday, 5 August with the kick-off at 18:00 CET. Entrance to the stadium with a wide range of entertainment provided is possible from 15:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales for the season opener.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen have signed the 17-year-old forward Dustin Buck. The Germany youth international joins from the youth set-up at FC Augsburg. The technically gifted and fast attacker will strengthen the Werkself U19 squad.
Show moreA new look and new kit supplier for the 2025/26 campaign: Bayer 04 in tandem with sports equipment manufacturer New Balance present the official kit for the Leverkusen eSports players the coming season. New partner Sinology appears on the top right of the jersey. Menswear outfitters Lerros is still the main eSports sponsor and Niedax remains the sleeve partner. The jersey is available now from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
Show moreThe Werkself will welcome Serie A newcomers Pisa SC to the BayArena for a friendly on Tuesday, 5 August (kick-off: 18:00 CEST / stadium opens: 15:00) as part of the season opener celebrations. Bayer 04 will offer fans a lively and varied supporting programme on the stadium concourse. Ahead of kick-off, both the men's and women's senior squads will be introduced on the pitch.
Show moreBosnia U19 international Kerim Alajbegovic is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen's youth set-up to Red Bull Salzburg. The talented attacking midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the Austrian club. At the same time, the works club secured a buy-back option for the 17-year-old, who was one of the mainstays of the Leverkusen U19s.
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