There was a very special sports lesson on the agenda for 15 schoolchildren in the afternoon: The youngsters aged 6 to 10 eagerly took part in a kick-about with the Werkself players Nadiem Amiri and Selina Ostermeier in the school gym.
The two Bayer 04 players, complete with their tricks, drew great admiration in a hard-fought 4-4 draw – and they had as much fun as the youngsters. "It was great today. It was real fun to do something different in the afternoon," said Amiri. "There really are lots of kids with talent… And I thought my dribbling was particularly good today," joked the midfielder.
Central defender Ostermeier also enjoyed the change from the usual training sessions. "It was really great fun, it was something different and something really special for the children," she said: "There was huge joy when we came in." The 24-year-old was reminded of her own childhood. "I can imagine how special it is for the children. It makes it even better if we can make them happy with a visit like this."
Amiri and Ostermeier were then happy to sign autographs for the children and pose for photos together. Bayer 04 mascot Brian the Lion also joined in and ensured beaming faces from the primary school children.
The Leverkusen city manager Mark Adomat drew a positive conclusion after the event. "The children were full of enthusiasm and the players joined in brilliantly. Next episode to follow," he said: "Something like this right in the middle of the district is incredibly important. Because Bayer 04 is part of the city's culture."
The head of sport at the primary school was also happy. Andreas Kittel said: "The children really enjoyed it. We saw how great their enthusiasm was," he said: "You can see that Bayer 04 is deeply rooted in the region and nearly everybody here has a connection to the club."
The young school students have another highlight to look forward to: They will all receive free tickets for the Werkself Bundesliga home game against Freiburg on Sunday 29 October (kick-off: 17.30 CET, BayArena) where they will be able to support Amiri and Co. at the stadium.
The Werkself are organising district matchdays for this and next season. At selected Bundesliga home games, a different district of Leverkusen is the focus of activities with the players. For example, Bayer 04 will visit kindergartens and schools, organise fan festivals, penalty tournaments, and stage competitions as well as lots of other events.
There won’t just be plenty of excitement on the pitch as Bayer 04 host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena at 18:30 CET on Saturday. Outside the stadium there will be collection points for food donations to the Leverkusen Foodbank, which will also benefit from the profits of a jersey raffle in the Fanwelt afterwards. There will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off following the passing of long-time Werkself player Dieter Herzog, before two fan clubs are honoured for their decades-long support at half-time and fans receive a talk about Orange Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.
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Bayer 04 go into the first of two successive clashes with Borussia Dortmund boosted by their Champions League win at Manchester City. Ahead of the Bundesliga top match on Saturday, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET), coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the tight schedule, BVB's strengths and returning squad members.
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Borussia Dortmund are doing very well in terms of points and results in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. BVB have only suffered two defeats to date this term. Now coach Niko Kovac's team are away to the Werkself on Saturday night, 29 November (kick-off: 18:30 CET) in the top match on Bundesliga matchday 12. The two teams meet again three days later in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 tie in Dortmund. Two very competitive encounters are on the cards. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Bayer 04 Women clcoked up a 3-2 win in a friendly against Twente Enschede on Thursday afternoon in the last international break of 2025. In drizzle, Lilla Turanyi (16’), Kristin Kögel (65’) and Paulina Bartz (69’) scored the goals for the Werkself against the Dutch Eredivisie Vrouwen leaders, who are still unbeaten in the league.
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