
"The contract extension with Bitburger is another indication we have confidence in long-term partnerships and we want to continue to develop this one together," said Markus Breglec, Bayer 04 chief marketing & innovation officer. We have worked with Bitburger since 2007 and they are the partner with the longest loyalty to us. So it's even better for us to achieve the extension both for the club and, of course, for the fans too."
As a partner in the Sponsors club, Bitburger has the right to sell alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks of the Bitburger and Benediktiner brands at the BayArena as well as at all Bayer 04 events. The family brewery also has naming rights for the North Stand as well as the beer garden at the BayArena. Marco Boor, head of regional marketing and sponsorship at Bitburger, sees the extension as a sign of consistency and loyalty: "We are proud to have agreed the extension with Bayer 04. We have had an active partnership with the club and their fans for many years and we look forward to further years together under the Cross."
About Bitburger:
Bitburger is one of Germany's leading private breweries. The success of the traditional company has been based for over 200 years on the uncompromising desire for the highest quality and courage to introduce technological innovation. As a family company the seventh generation, Bitburger has also traditionally been involved in its home region. And Bitburger believes the careful use of natural resources and an effective contribution to environmental and climate protection are essential.

It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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