At the age of 26, the Jena-born player joined Bayer 04 from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 1999. The midfielder went on to make over 260 appearances for the Black and Reds and he developed into a key player and a crowd favourite. Schneider was twice a Bundesliga runner-up with the Werkself (2000 & 2002), played in the 2002 Champions League final and in two DFB Cup finals (2002 & 2009).
‘Schnix’ ended his contract with Bayer 04 at the age of 36 on 26 June 2009. A back injury in April 2008 put an end to his career on the pitch. His contract with the Werkself was due to run to the end of the 2009/10 season.
In the first half of the testimonial, the midfield maestro played for the ‘Schnix All Stars’ and for Bayer 04 in the second 45. The game ended in a 6-5 win for the All Stars. In addition to current players, Schneider’s call was taken up by former teammates including Diego Placente, Michael Ballack, Zé Roberto, Oliver Neuville, Dimitar Berbatov and Ulf Kirsten – and it was an emotional and unforgettable night for ‘Schnix’, the scorer of four goals, together with the fans.
The obligatory substitution on 65 minutes and a full lap of honour in front of the fans was followed after the game by a farewell party in the Premium Lounge at the BayArena that included speeches from Rudi Völler and Wolfgang Holzhäuser plus Reiner Calmund.
The ‘Schnix All Stars’ line-up: Bräutigam (Lehmann 46’) – Bindewald (Gebhardt 27’/Zimmermann 54’), Nowotny, Zivkovic (Schur 61’), Placente (Babic 52’) – Schneider (Beinlich 46’), Ramelow (Brinkmann 61’), Hamann (Ziegner 46’/Ballack 66’), Zé Roberto – Neuville (Berbatov 25’), Bastürk (Kirsten 31’/Rink 58’)
Calling all Werkself fans: The new Farbenstadt range is available now from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. This includes new T-shirts made of 100% organic cotton, zip-up hoodies and jogging bottoms in five different summer colours.
Show moreBayer 04 new signing Carlotta Wamser has been called up to the Germany squad for the Women's EURO 2025 finals in Switzerland. For the 21-year-old winger, who is set to join Bayer 04 from Eintracht Frankfurt for next season, it is the first participation in a big international tournament.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen have completed the signing of French U18 international Axel Tape. The 17-year-old moves to the Bundesliga club on a long-term contract from Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the 2025/26 season. Tape was crowned a French U19 champion with the PSG youth just last weekend.
Show moreFollowing the end of the season for Bayer 04, a lot of Werkself players are currently on the road with their national teams. The Leverkusen players are involved in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League, qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and international friendlies. Read on for the latest news on international fixtures involving Werkself players.
Show more