"The game here is special for me as I scored my first goal for the national team here. That will always stay with me," described Frimpong, who also revealed that a large chunk of his family, who live in Amsterdam, will be in attendance tomorrow. Alonso also expressed his excitement for the upcoming match at the famous old 'De Kuip' stadium: "It's a historic stadium with a unique atmosphere. Kicking off the Champions League here, it couldn't be better."
What's more, the motivation for the competition is massive. "Everyone wants to play in the Champions League at some point," said the Bayer 04 head coach. "It's the biggest stage, so we're happy to be back on it. We have a challenging but exciting season ahead of us and are really looking forward to it." However, the Spaniard also sounded a word of warning: "All teams start with zero points. Last season a dream came true for us, but we don't want to look back anymore. Our aim now is to prove ourselves again. The players have hunger. We want to get as many points as possible from the first block of four games."
The Spaniard also praised the opponents. "I already watched Feyenoord a lot in the Europa League last season because we could've come up against them at any point and we wanted to be ready." Frimpong also sees the Dutch hosts as a "top team", adding: "I don't think we're the favourites. Feyenoord have been playing at a high level for years and are a big club here in the Netherlands. Some of my team-mates from the national team also play here. We have great respect for them. So, the game tomorrow could go either way."
They'll have to pay particular attention to striker Santiago Gimenez, according to Alonso. "He'll be a big challenge for our defence," he explained. "He's a very all-round player, has good movement and is always willing, so we'll need to keep an eye on him at all times."
A crowd of 42,000 is expected at "De Kuip" - "the tub" in English - including 2,500 visiting supporters. All Werkself fans should read the club's fan info for the match.
A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
Show more
On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
Show more
Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
Show more
When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
Show more
Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
Show more
