Just before their six-day #Bayer04MexicoTour on Monday 11 July, the Bayer 04 Women’s team had their Media Day. The Leverkusen Women again went through several stops this year facing a frenzy of camera flashes. Videos were filmed with a range of content for the club social media channels and, of course, loads of photos were taken with everybody involved clearly enjoying it.
An annual highlight: the GIF stop. The team from Leverkusen filmed different creative mini-clips with confetti, popcorn and party horns. Black and Red fans can look forward to the results of their work.
The Werkself players again worked hard at the BayArena. Head coach Gerardo Seoane held a final session of the week on training pitch one. The training group split up after a joint warm-up routine: While the international players who returned yesterday worked at the far end of the ground, Robert Andrich, Karim Bellarabi & Co. practised passing. The session ended for everybody with a passing drill in a game with small goals.
The Seoane team have the first friendly of the new season on Saturday 9 July. The game in Velbert kicks off at 15.30 CEST with third division MSV Duisburg providing the opposition. Anybody wanting to be at the match can buy tickets on the day at the IMS Arena from two hours before kick-off (13.30 CEST). The match will also be broadcast live on the Bayer 04 official YouTube channel.
The Switzerland Women's team play their first match in the European Championships in England on Saturday 9 July. Bayer 04 player Lara Marti is in the squad. The defender and her teammates face Portugal in the first match of the tournament. The kick-off is at 18.00 CEST in the north English town of Leigh.
Marti & Co. face a tough challenge in Group C with Sweden (Olympic runners-up in 2021) and the reigning European champions the Netherlands being the other opponents. All of the Euros matches are being broadcast on ARD and ZDF as well as the streaming provider DAZN.
Congratulations from Bayer 04 today go to Heung-Min Son on his 30th birthday. The South Korea international joined Leverkusen from Hamburg SV in 2013/14 and he went on to score 29 goals for the Werkself in two years. The forward moved on to the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 where he is still playing today.
Last season, Son was the first Asian player to be top scorer in England's top flight with 23 goals (as did Mohamed Salah of Liverpool). The international received the highest award in South Korea for sporting performances, the Cheongnyong medal. Many happy returns.
HERE again are the best goals and assists from Son to watch and enjoy.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
Show more
Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
Show more
Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
Show more
Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
Show more
