25.05.2018Bayer 04

Werkself friendlies against Roßbach, Siegen and Wuppertal

Seven weeks ahead of the first competitive match in the new campaign, the Werkself start the pre-season for 2018/19 in the first week of July. Three weeks after that, the Bayer 04 set off for the training camp in Zell am See-Kaprun (29 July to 5.August). In the meantime, Lars Bender, Kevin Volland and Co. have three friendly fixtures. The first of those games is against Rhineland-Palatinate League side SV Roßbach/Verscheid (18 July, 18.00 CET).

Thanks to their success on the pitch, the club on the River Wied are no longer just familiar to fans interested in regional football: The team who have been in the Oberliga for many years have twice played in the first round of the DFB Cup against top-flight teams (against Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2006 and Mainz 05 in 2012). After relegation to the fifth division four years ago, the Rhineland Cup winners of 2012 chose not to play in the sixth tier Rhineland League but instead started rebuilding in the District League B. SV Roßbach/Verscheid immediately achieve promotion to the A league (Westerwald/Wied). Since then, the team coached by Uwe van Eckeren have twice maintained their status – shortly before the end of the current campaign, the club from the spa town are fourth in the table with the last game of the season to play.

friendly in Siegen on 21 July

Three days after the match against the A League side, the Werkself have a second pre-season friendly – away to fifth division Sportfreunde Siegen (21 July, 15 CET, Leimbach Stadium). Bayer 04 face one of the biggest clubs from South Westphalia who the Werkself played four competitive matches against 50 years ago in the Regional League (1963/64 and 1972/73) (that was followed by eight more meetings in the Regional League with the Bayer 04 Reserves). Since then the club from Siegen can look back with pride to a season in the second division (2005/06) and bringing through four well-known professionals – including Patrick Helmes, who played for the Werkself from 2008 to 2011 (72 appearances, 38 goals). After relegation from the second division in 2006 and the departure of their main benefactor, Sportfreunde Siegen are now in the Westphalia Oberliga – the young group (average age: 21.8) are established in mid-table under SFS coach Dominik Dapprich.

friendly in Wuppertal on 24 July

Five days ahead of departure to the training camp in Austria, the Herrlich team have a friendly away to Wuppertaler SV (24 July, 19.00 CET, Stadion am Zoo), who finished last term third in the Regional League West – the fourth tier of German football. The Werkself have played the team from 30 kilometres away in the Bergisches Land 25 times between 1962 and 1979 (Oberliga, Regional League, Second Division) with Bayer 04 winning nine times (seven defeats). The greatest achievements of the team from Wuppertal were a while ago: In 1972, WSV were promoted to the Bundesliga and the blade in the UEFA Cup a year later. The absolute low point followed in 2013 with an insolvency application that led to relegation to the fourth division where Wuppertal have remained since the 2016/17 season. The most famous player in the team coached by Christian Britscho (average age: 25) is probably the captain Gaetano Manno (35) who used to play for VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga and for VfL Osnabrück and SC Paderborn in the second division. In the season that has just finished, the WSV squad included former Bayer 04 youth players Andre Mandt (24; 2008 to 2014), Emre Bayrak (21; 2013 to 2015) and Yassine Khadraoui (21; 2012 to 2016) as well as a number of players with experience of the second tier.

Related News

Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026

Rudi recounts…: Vollborn’s January highlights

Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…

Bayer 04 - 31.12.2025

The Werkself in 2025: Emotional farewells and dawn of new successful era

"In every ending lies a new beginning" is a well-known saying. This phrase has probably never been more apt at Bayer 04. After winning the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and finishing as runners-up in 2024/25, the summer was the most eventful ever in terms of transfers. Over ten players and the coach, including the coaching staff, left the club. A lot of the heroes of the double-winning side began a new chapter. It was the end of an era. And at the same time the beginning of a new, very exciting and promising chapter for Leverkusen. The Werkself welcomed more than a dozen new arrivals, including experienced title-winners and young talents, to build a new "foundation for a successful team capable of winning titles" under the Bayer Cross, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. A new spirit, a new hunger, a new story was to be created. Bayer04.de looks back at the first few months of this story and the final act of the preseason.

Women - 30.12.2025

‘Expectation and demands’: Feifel reviews record year for Women's team

43 points at the end of the last Bundesliga season were not only more than ever before for the Bayer 04 Women, but also led to a record fourth-place finish. That was followed by a Hinrunde with many more victories, but also some setbacks. In an interview with bayer04.de, sporting director Achim Feifel takes stock at the end of the year.

Bayer 04 - 30.12.2025

Bundesliga Goal of the Year: Vote now for Terrier or Wirtz

With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.

Women - 30.12.2025

Women's team review 2025: Record season and roller coaster Hinrunde

A record-breaking year ends for the Bayer 04 Women. Fourth place, 13 wins and 43 points in the 2024/25 campaign - the Werkself have never been so good in the Bundesliga. Coach Roberto Pätzold's team also had plenty of reasons to celebrate in the first half of the new Bundesliga season - although there were also a few disappointments. A look back at 2025 for the Bayer 04 Women’s team.