Florian Wirtz has already established himself as a key member of the Werkself at the age of just 18. His personal record for the season is impressive: The versatile midfielder scored eight goals and provided the same number of assists in 38 games across all competitions. After his move to Bayer 04, he first had to "earn respect and show what I could do over several months," said Wirtz in the latest edition of the Werkself Magazin. (The full interview is available HERE).
It is now clear: he has more than succeeded in that aim. The player born in Pulheim has not only made an impression on his teammates but also on the Bayer 04 fans. The newly crowned U21 European Champion received 23.8% of all votes cast but he did not believe he would be named Player of the Season 2020/21. "For me, Lars Bender is the Player of the Season. He's done so much of the club and was always there for the fans," said Wirtz. "But, of course, I'm happy about this award. Particularly because the fans voted. They appeared to like my performances and my way of playing football. That makes me happy and motivates me to make an even greater effort."
16.8% of all votes from the Werkself fans went to the new honorary captain Lars Bender in second place. The defensive stalwart hung up his boots at the end of the season after 12 years under the Bayer Cross. Third place went to Leon Bailey who picked up 12.9% of the votes cast. Our number nine had an impressive season and had the highest number of goals and assists in the team. His record: 15 goals plus 11 assists in 40 games.
The Bayer 04 Club again awarded first class prizes among those Bayer 04 members taking part in the vote. The main winner Marco Gottschlich received two VIP tickets for a Werkself home game. Given the long absence of fans at the BayArena, this prize is a particularly special highlight. Like the majority of the fans, he gave his vote to Wirtz: "Even though in the second half of the season, as with many others, not everything went to plan, he never lacked commitment and passion. His body language is motivation for a lot of older players. He makes his mark – both on and off the pitch. At that age it's pretty remarkable."
In addition to the main prize, a lot of other great prizes went to Bayer 04 Members including a Bayer 04 adventure day, consisting of a Bayer arena tour plus a 30-minute Schwadbus tour, the new home shirt and vouchers for the fan shop. Bayer 04 thank all fans and members for taking part.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
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Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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Like last year, Bayer 04 Women held their summer training camp in Rieden. Coach Roberto Pätzold gives his assessment of the time in the Upper Palatinate, discusses the integration of the 11 new players and the unusual team building measures, gives his thoughts on the friendly and looks ahead to the start of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga season in August.
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Just in time for the start of the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Werkself will hold another open training session on Tuesday 21 July. The session at the BayArena is scheduled to start at 11:00 CEST and will again be available to watch in a live stream. The fans who are there can look forward to a very special surprise.
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