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.
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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