While the opening seminar in the middle of March in Madrid with Mario Gomez (RB Leipzig technical director) and Paul Mitchell (Newcastle United sporting director) was held with the title of Football Governance and Sports Strategies, this time in Leverkusen the main subject area covered was Legal Framework and Business Skills.
The second of a total of three sessions that was held at the BayArena included the long-serving England manager Gareth Southgate, the former DFB official Oliver Bierhoff plus former players Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Tamás Hajnal. Other participants came from clubs including AS Monaco (France), Feyenoord (Netherlands), Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) and Ferencváros (Hungary).
"The sessions offer very interesting input from completely different angles," said Bayer 04 director of football Kim Falkenberg, who officially welcomed the participants to Leverkusen and then reported on the structure and operating methods plus the development of recent years at the German double winners. Falkenberg is also a participant on the course.
The third and final seminar with the title of Evolution of Football and new Technologies will be held next month in Nyon at the UEFA headquarters.
The Sporting Director Programme:
The Sporting Director Programme (SDP) was developed to give sporting directors practical and strategic skills plus leadership qualities needed for modern football management. The programme consists of three face-to-face seminars at the UEFA headquarters and at top European clubs plus two online master classes covering all aspects of running a successful football operation from squad planning to recruitment and making crucial decisions. Further information is available HERE.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 2-1 at TSG Hoffenheim on the 3rd matchday of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga 2026/27.
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Starting with the 2026/27 season, Bayer 04 has created a permanent memorial space at the BayArena. In the upper section of Block A in the southeast corner of the stadium, Werkself fans can honour friends and family members with whom they have shared many special moments connected to Bayer 04. In the coming months, this space will be gradually expanded, in particular with the active support of the fans.
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Bayer 04 has secured a new premium partner in DXC Technology, a leading provider of enterprise technology and innovation. The club has agreed a partnership with DXC running until 30 June 2028. At the heart of the partnership is DXC’s role as an AI integration partner. The company is integrating Bayer 04’s previously separate digital systems into a unified fan journey that begins long before matchday and extends well beyond the stadium visit. As a partner of the women’s team and main sponsor of #B04eSports, DXC will be supporting two promising sections of the club during this period. DXC will also gain significant visibility as the sleeve partner of the women’s team in the DFB Pokal.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have secured a new premium partner in the form of DRIVIO. DRIVIO, already part of the club’s partner portfolio as a reliable car subscription partner for Bayer 04, will continue to support the club in this capacity and, with immediate effect, also join the premium group of companies that cooperate closely with the Werkself. The premium and car subscription partnership between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and DRIVIO will initially run until 30 June 2027.
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“Welcome home” was the message from a visually emotional fan in the direction of Moussa Diaby after Wednesday’s open training session. The French winger had just appeared on the BayArena training ground for the first time in three years following his return to Bayer 04. And before he took time for selfies and autographs, Diaby spoke to the media. Fellow new arrival Guéla Doué was also in action but not with the team for now.
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