
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.

Sofie Zdebel is up for the Goal of the Month award for February on ARD-Sportschau. Fans have until 21 March (19:00 CET) to vote for the Germany U23 international's volley to make it 2-0 in the Bayer 04 Women's derby against FC Köln (2-1).
Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen are further expanding their partner network: The feed manufacturer PerNaturam is an official sponsor of the Bayer 04 Womens team. The partnership opens up a wide range of opportunities for the company to position its brand in the Bundesliga environment.
Show more
Do you dream of wearing the Bayer cross on your chest? To play in black and red like your role models Loreen Bender, Cornelia Kramer, Kristin Kögel and co. from the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga? Then take your chance now! Our female youth teams are once again on the lookout for new talent. That's why Bayer 04 are organising a talent day on 12 April 2026 for the first time this year with trials for female juniors.
Show more
Arsenal, one of the favourites in the UCL, visit the BayArena for the first leg in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16. Kai Havertz and Piero Hincapie, two long-serving Bayer 04 players, are set to return to the BayArena for the first time since leaving the club. As part of the match against the Gunners, fans can look forward to exciting Sound of Dreams festival activities at the stadium. Club members can also secure another SoD Unplugged ticket for a chance to win a special prize. Today’s matchday news.
Show more
A Champions League showdown at the BayArena awaits. On Wednesday night, 11 March (kick-off: 18:45 CET), the Werkself face Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Ahead of the clash with the Premier League leaders, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the Gunners' exceptional strength at set-pieces, a returning striker and "believing in yourself". Forward Christian Kofane also spoke about the approach to the Round of 16 tie and congratulated his personal idol - whose previous success also motivates him for forthcoming challenges.
Show more