The last Bundesliga home game of the season for the Werkself is against Schalke 04 on Saturday 11 May (15.30 CET). On matchday 33, Bayer 04 celebrate a weekend of events in honour of the 40th anniversary of promotion to the top flight and invite fans to take a trip back through time. The day after the Schalke game on Sunday (12 May, from 9.30 CET) Bayer 04 fans will have the opportunity to meet numerous black and red heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow at the Day of Tradition in and around the BayArena. But there is more!
The weekend begins on Friday (10 May from 19.04 CET) with the chance to celebrate 'Promotion Day'. Almost 40 years to the day – 13 May 1979 to be exact – Bayer 04 drew 3-3 with Bayer 05 Uerdingen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium to secure promotion to the Bundesliga and finally see the dream of top-flight football come true. This historic moment in the club's history sees the club dedicate their own event, including Q & A sessions, anecdotes and historic video material. Celebrate the whole evening with the Werkself and get to meet promotion heroes of 1979 and other surprise guests at the '19nullvier' lounge at the BayArena.
Tickets for 'Promotion Day' are available now for five euros from the Bayer 04 Fan Liaison (Fanhaus Bayer 04, Breidenbachstraße 46, 51373 Leverkusen) as well as from the Fan Kiste container from 13.30 CET on the day of the Werkself home game against FC Nürnberg (20 April, 15.30 CET). With every ticket sold, support goes to the Kreativ Schwarz-Rot (Creative Black and Red) club whose activities include financing and implementing creative ideas of the Leverkusen fans in the form of choreography. In addition, the price also includes a free drink.
The Black and Reds kick off the new Bundesliga campaign today, Saturday 29 August (kick-off 15:30 CEST), away to newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg – and the Werkself will come up against a familiar face who is currently causing a stir at ‘Elv’. For an affordable and easy journey to the Saarland, the 1,600 travelling fans can still use the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Today’s matchday news..
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The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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The Bundesliga is back. On Saturday 29 August (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself are away to SV 07 Elversberg on matchday 1 of the new season. Ahead of the clash at the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about the importance of a successful start and the motivation of the league newcomers from the Saarland.
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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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