
In addition to special targeted measures on primary prevention and the promotion of general health, Bayer 04 and the BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE have and will increasingly focus on children and teenagers and thereby go beyond the traditional field of occupational health. The "Lebenswelt Schule" will play a significant role in those activities.
In the region during 2023, a project of the Bayer 04 Lernkurve organised 45 workshop for year groups 1 to 5 with 30 children per workshop attending in their classes. The content focused on the ability to work in a team, nutrition, anti-bullying measures and media skills. A multi-school parents evening is planned in the spring of 2024 to enable the BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE and Bayer 04 to provide information on health promotion and primary prevention to parents as well as the children.
Under the motto of ‘Werkself hautnah gesund erleben' (experience the Werkself close-up healthily) there were eight events organised by Bayer 04 and BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE in association with home games at the current Bundesliga league leaders. 35 to 40 children took part in the activities, which recently included training sessions at the Bayer 04 Soccer School where children were informed about the cardiovascular system and sport through practical sessions. The BERGISCHE KRANKENKASSE extended the programme of events by organising a Family Olympics.
In future, the issue of healthy nutrition will increasingly be highlighted by the ‘Werkself hautnah gesund erleben’ project. Up to the summer of 2024 there will be five other events of this type at Werkself home games.

With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
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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 personal 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…
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You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
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Following Patrik Schick, Mark Flekken, Ibrahim Maza and Kerim Alajbegovic earlier this week, the next World Cup participant is back on the training ground in Leverkusen: On Thursday 30 July, Malik Tillman rejoined the squad, completing his first training session under head coach Carles Martínez.
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