That means the Werkself are in Group B along with the Portuguese champions, the team that finished third in La Liga and the Belgian champions from the Jupiler Pro League.
Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, was at the draw in Istanbul: "An exciting group with familiar faces. We now have to do everything we can to achieve stability as soon as possible in the league to be able to enjoy these great football nights and be in a position to win."
Simon Rolfes, Bayer 04 sporting managing director, also spoke after the draw: "It's an interesting and balanced group. Atlético Madrid – there's always a special atmosphere. I played my last Champions League game in the old stadium in Madrid. All the teams have different ways of playing. I'm looking forward to the matches and I believe we can do something. We'll have to see that we get back on track in the league. The Champions League is a competition that also unleashes energy. We hope to find our rhythm in the coming weeks and rediscover our form in the next games."
The first matchday is on 6/7 September. The group stage finishes on 1/2 November. The match dates will be announced by Saturday 27 August at the latest.
Former Werkself star Michael Ballack, who won the German Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing in Leverkusen, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Bayer 04 sends him its best wishes!
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Attention Werkself fans: In addition to tickets for the floodlit home match against Werder Bremen, tickets are now also available for the Bayer 04 women’s team’s two subsequent fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburger SV at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Both matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga will take place at family-friendly kick-off times on Saturday afternoons. Here is the latest information on matchday ticket sales.
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Guéla Doué’s first 30 minutes in a Bayer 04 shirt during the draw away at Augsburg have definitely made the summer signing eager for more. The 23-year-old may have had to bide his time following his move from Strasbourg due to a muscular injury, but he’s been able to get a good taste of the BayArena atmosphere while watching from the stands in the home wins over Celje and RB Leipzig, as the Ivory Coast international explained in a chat with media representatives. “The fans’ enthusiasm and passion are incredible,” said Doué, looking forward to what lies ahead. The defender also spoke about his plans for a comeback, his teammates and his younger brother Désiré.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen welcomes a new official member to the Sponsors’ Club at the start of the 2026/27 campaign. KKV Kabelverlegung GmbH & Co. KG is expanding its existing partnership and will, with immediate effect, act as a supporter of the Bundesliga club at the second-highest partner level, just below the premium tier. As an official partner in the Sponsors’ Club, KKV will now enjoy significantly enhanced visibility during Werkself matches at the BayArena. The new contract is initially valid until 30 June 2028.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has extended the existing partnership agreement with EDO Personalservice GmbH and, at the same time, expanded its collaboration with the Cologne-based company. The official partner in the Business Club has been upgraded within Bayer 04’s partner network. The revised and enhanced support for the club has initially been agreed for two years, running until 30 June 2028.
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