It was matchday 25 in the 1999/00 season – the match away to SSV Ulm at the Donau Stadium kicked off at 15.30 CET in front of 23,500 spectators. Bayer 04, then second in the table behind Bayern Munich, had gone six games unbeaten; at the same time, the 'Sparrows' were in confident mood after two wins in succession and an unbeaten run stretching back to November of the previous year.
Ulm missed two chances at the start of the game – the Werkself were more clinical: Emerson and Paulo Rink started the goal fest. Ulf Kirsten added a third and Emerson doubled his tally to make it 4-0 at half-time.
The Werkself were on top of their game in the first half and the team coached by Christoph Daum carried on in the same vein in the second 45 minutes: Oliver Neuville, Michael Ballack, Zé Roberto with a brace and Bernd Schneider scored to make it 9-0 for Bayer 04. Ulm's Leandro netted a consolation goal just before the end of the game for the final score of 9-1.
Bayer 04: Juric – Nowotny, Ramelow, R. Kovac – Emerson, Ballack, Zé Roberto (Bernd Schneider 82'), Beinlich (Gresko 78') – Neuville, Rink, Kirsten (Zivkovic 52')
Goals: 0-1 Emerson (10’)
0-2 Rink (14’)
0-3 Kirsten (19’)
0-4 Emerson (39’)
0-5 Neuville (68’)
0-6 Zé Roberto (74’)
0-7 Ballack (75’)
0-8 Zé Roberto (81’)
0-9 B. Schneider (85’)
1-9 Leandro (90’)
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
