Simon Rolfes on…
…his emotions after the announcement of Xabi Alonso leaving at the end of the season: "Farewells are always emotional. Of course, you start thinking about looking back at the time together and the memory of great moments with the league title win and the DFB Pokal but also the first discussions and the first weeks. All those experiences will be there forever and connect us forever."
…discussions with Xabi Alonso: "Of course, this moment is not all too surprising for us today. Communication with Xabi was and is very open and transparent at all times and the level of trust accordingly great. The final decision came this week even though there was obviously movement and certain thoughts before that."
…discussions on the successor in the dugout: "When I started here it was always said that everything would be over if Kai Havertz left. It didn't turn out to be like that. And it won't be like that again now and things will obviously carry on. Of course, we have had discussions recently and weighed our options and Xabi knew that too. But until something is 100% certain we will not be in the final phase of discussions. The decision has been made and therefore we logically move into that final phase. We will find a good solution for Bayer 04 and are firmly convinced that we will enter a new successful era."
…the future of Florian Wirtz: "Of course, there are different options with Flo, a lot of clubs are very interested in him. But one option is that he stays with us. He still has two years on his contract and that means we aren't forced to make a decision in the next five days. There is no exact timetable."
…squad planning and players in and out: "First of all it's human response to think about your own future after a successful time with a coach. That's completely normal. As a club, we are very ambitious and we want to have a top coach and a top team next season too. I don't think it's bad that there will be changes. There will be a wind of change and we will create a new dynamic. Lots of players, lots of important players will stay. And we will also bring in good players."
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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