He was presented with his medal by his teammates after the final whistle in the Bundesliga away game at SV Darmstadt 98 (2-0) with a link to the ARD Sportschau. Wirtz spoke to Werkself TV after the presentation of the medal: "I'm really happy to receive this award. It makes me proud. Perhaps I'll add another one at some point."
Head coach Xabi Alonso said in response to a question about the award for Wirtz: "I congratulated him, it was a fantastic goal. He's an exceptional player, a genius in tight spaces. He is still young and he has a lot to look forward to in the future."
Before Wirtz, Bernd Schuster also won the award for Goal of the Year when he was playing for the Werkself. His award-winning goal against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1994 was later voted Goal of the Decade in the 1990s.
Bayer 04 are riding a wave of success on the European stage: After three wins from their first three games and as the only team yet to concede a goal, the Werkself sit second in the table in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. With another three points in their first-ever competitive match against Olympique Marseille on Thursday night, 5 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Bayer 04 could leap to the top of the table. Meanwhile, the French side are riding the wave of a winning streak in Ligue 1, but are yet to pick up any points in the Europa League. For one Werkself player, Thursday night will mark a reunion with his former team-mates. Today’s matchday news.
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The Europa League campaign continues: Bayer 04 host Olympique Marseille at the BayArena on matchday four of the group stage on Thursday 5 November (kick-off: 21:00 CET). Ahead of the clash against the club from the French Mediterranean coast, head coach Carles Martínez spoke about the visitors’ form and had some good news regarding the squad. Former OM player Facundo Medina spoke, amongst other things, about the factors that will be crucial against his old club.
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The Bayer 04 Round of 16 tie in the 2026/27 DFB Pokal has been scheduled. The Werkself will host Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig on Wednesday, 2 December, at 18:00 CET. That was announced by the German Football Association (DFB).
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Video game developer Electronic Arts (EA), in collaboration with the Bundesliga, has announced the six nominees for the Bundesliga Player of the Month award for October 2026 – and Bayer 04’s Ibrahim Maza is among them. Fans of the Black and Reds can vote from now until Sunday 8 November (23:59 CET).
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