Fact 1: African roots
Bellarabi was born in West Berlin on 8 April 1990. His mother is German, his father Moroccan and his stepfather comes from Ghana. Bellarabi has both German and Moroccan citizenship and he grew up in Bremen. As a teenager, he played for FC Huchting, Werder Bremen and FC Oberneuland.
Fact 2: First steps in professional football
Via the U19s at Eintracht Braunschweig, Bellarabi moved up to the first team squad at the Lower Saxony club. He made his professional debut in the third division on matchday 38 on 23 May 2009. Eintracht lost 2-0 at Regensburg.
Fact 3: The move to Leverkusen
Bellarabi signed for Leverkusen in the 2011/12 season. He made his first appearance in Black and Red against FC Köln on 17 September 2011. The then Bayer 04 coach Robin Dutt brought him on in place of Daniel Schwaab on 80 minutes. The Werkself lost the game 4-1.
Fact 4: Bellarabi's first goal
It finally came on 3 March 2012: Just eight minutes after coming on for André Schürrle, Bellarabi scored the second and winning goal against Bayern Munich on the 90th minute – his first goal in the Bundesliga. A few days later, on 7 March 2012, Bellarabi scored his first goal in the Champions League in added time in the second leg of the Round of 16 – the Werkself did lose the match 7-1 away to Barcelona.
Fact 5: Back to Lower Saxony
Bellarabi returned to Braunschweig on loan for the start of the 2013/14 season to get more match practice. The idea paid dividends: He scored three goals and provided five assists in 26 Bundesliga games. Braunschweig were relegated at the end of the season; Bellarabi returned to Leverkusen. He earned a regular berth in the following season to finally be established with the Black and Reds.
Fact 6: Record breaker
On 23 August 2014 in the first match day of the new season, Bellarabi scored the fastest ever goal in the Bundesliga: He opened the scoring at Borussia Dortmund after nine seconds and the Werkself ended up 2-0 winners. The record was equalled almost exactly a year later by one of his current Bayer 04 teammates: Kevin Volland, then playing for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, opened the scoring against FC Bayern on 22 August 2015 – again after nine seconds. Bellarabi has also secured another top spot: "The opening goal against FC Augsburg on 17 February 2017 was the 50,000th goal in the history of the Bundesliga. His shirt from that match is a permanent exhibit in the German Football Museum in Dortmund.
Fact 7: Swift as an arrow
One of Bellarabi's great strengths is his incredible pace. In 2016/17, he was faster than any other player in Germany's top flight with a measured top speed of 35.27 km/h and he also possesses extraordinary stamina. The Werkself completed a stamina test in Orlando during preparations for the second half of the 2016/17 season. In one drill, players had to drop out because they had not completed the distance required in the set time. The last man standing, or in this case the last man running, was – Karim Bellarabi.
Fact 8: New hobby on the decks
Bellarabi has apparently discovered a new hobby during the coronavirus pandemic. In a recent post on his Instagram account, he published a video of himself as a DJ – and he showed what he could do on the turntables. A true all-rounder.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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