There is great excitement at Bayer 04 ahead of the last game for the Werkself this season. Given the points parity and the three-goal worse goal difference with fourth placed TSG Hoffenheim (at home to Borussia Dortmund) the last match of the season is not just about three points or three goals but also about three additional letters. To be more exact, it's about the competition Bayer 04 will be playing in next term: Champions League or Europa League. "I think about calculations like that too. But that doesn't achieve anything. We have to concentrate on ourselves – and winning the game against Hannover will be hard enough," said head coach Heiko Herrlich late on Monday afternoon.
As in recent weeks, the boss only involved the substitutes from the Bremen match on the training ground with the starting eleven and team-mates recovering from injury working at the BayArena. One exception was Dominik Kohr. The number 21 was – for at least around 60 minutes – with the two goalkeepers Ramazan Özcan and Niklas Lomb plus Lucas Alario, Karim Bellarabi, Benjamin Henrichs, Marlon Frey, Vladlen Yurchenko and Stefan Kießling in bright sunshine and summer temperatures on the training ground. For Kies it was the start of his last week as a pro before ending his playing career on Saturday against Hannover.
Positive news about Jonathan Tah. The 22-year-old is on the verge of returning to full training this week after his hip injury and Herrlich is confident about a possible appearance against Hannover. The same applies to Leon Bailey and Wendell, who were substituted at Bremen due to muscular problems. The captain Lars Bender and his brother Sven completed individual sessions on the training ground on Monday morning but it remains to be seen whether they will be available for the last game of the season. There is less optimism regarding Joel Pohjanpalo who is still in rehab training following an ankle injury.
The Werkself have two open training sessions this week (Tuesday and Wednesday, each at 10.30 CET) before a closed session on Thursday for final preparations ahead of the Hannover match.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
Show more
Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
Show more
The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
Show more
There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
Show more
