It's child's play: Every tweet using the hashtag #nextLEVel will automatically appear at Leverkusen. The best and most emotional will go straight onto the screens at the BayArena. One special factor: The whole thing is not limited by time or place. All Bayer 04 fans, whether at the stadium, in Germany or across the world can show their support for the Werkself from now using the hashtag #nextLEVel. And it could very well provide a decisive extra percent of motivation for Kevin Kampl, Stefan Kießling and Co.: It's worth joining in! For the Werkself! For the quarter-finals!
The campaign started on Sunday with an emotional video where Kevin Kampl, Stefan Kießling, Karim Bellarabi and Danny Da Costa join together to ask all Werkself fans for their active support. In the words of the team: "It was close last time. It's our competition! We want your support at home! Together against Atlético!" – So don't hesitate to support the Werkself in the most important home game of the season to date against Atlético Madrid with tweets using the hashtag #nextLEVel.
Bayer 04 ran a similar campaign to bid farewell to Bayer 04 honorary captain Simon Rolfes. In his last match in a Leverkusen shirt, the Werkself legend Rolfes was the subject of numerous tweets using the hashtag#DankeSimon on the screens at the BayArena. Now it’s time now for a new one. It's down to the fans and the team to do all they can to get past Atlético and into the quarter-finals. Take the next step: #nextLEVel.
Bayer 04 have comfortably reached the DFB Pokal second round thanks to a 4–0 victory away to Liga 3 side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Patrik Schick put the Werkself ahead in the first 45 in the first competitive match under head coach Carles Martínez with debuts for new signings Miguel Gutiérrez, Afonso Moreira and Facundo Medina. After the break, Lucas Vázquez (47'), Nathan Tella (69') and Christian Kofane (79') also found the back of the net.
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Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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With the 2026/27 season set to kick off with a DFB Pokal tie away to SV Wehen Wiesbaden (Saturday, 22 August, 13:00 CEST), the squad numbers for two Werkself players have now been confirmed. New signing Afonso Moreira will wear the number 9, which he has already worn in pre-season friendlies. Lucas Vázquez is switching from number 21 to number 17 – the number he wore successfully at Real Madrid for many years.
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