
The Werkself also have two friendlies to play before then. The first has already been arranged: At the end of the first week of training, the Leverkusen pros – as in last year’s pre-season – are again away to Regional League Wuppertaler SV. Other friendlies plus all kick-off times and venues will be announced as soon as they are known here at bayer04.de and also on our social media platforms.
1 July: Performance tests (morning), training restart (afternoon)
6 July: Friendly at Wuppertaler SV, kick-off: 17.00 CET
13 July: Friendly
15 to 21 July: Training camp in Zell am See/Kaprun
20 July: Friendly
28 July: Friendly
4 August: Friendly as part of season launch event at the BayArena
9 to 11 August: DFB Cup, Round One (Draw on 15 June)
16 to 18 August: Bundesliga kick-off
17/18 September: Champions League, Matchday 1 (Group stage)

Bayer 04 are back at the BayArena! Under the slogan “One day. Two teams. One club.”, the Leverkusen stadium grounds will be transformed into a world of experiences – with a wide range of exclusive activities both on and off the pitch. Keep track of all the highlights in our blog for the 2026 season launch.
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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.
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Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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