The ties in the eCup will – similarly to the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) – be played on a best-of-three basis. First up are two 1 vs 1 games. The Leverkusen eSports players Marc ‘MARC_LDW23’ Landwehr and Furkan ‘FURKY’ Kayacik will first individually meet an opponent from FC 08 Hassloch from the Rhineland Palatinate. If there is no overall winner from these two games then a third will be played as a 2 vs 2 to decide the winner. The winner in the first round proper will progress to the second round of the competition.
The games in the tie between FC 08 Hassloch in the first round proper of the DFB eCup will be streamed on the Bayer 04 Twitch channel as well as the Bayer 04 app.
The DFB eCup is a statewide virtual football competition run by the German Football Association (DFB). In addition to eSport professional players, amateur teams from Germany can also take part. The first round proper brings together the winners from the qualifying rounds and eSports players from the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL). The Bayer 04 eSports team ended the North West division of the VBL in seventh place.
Forthcoming fixture dates:
Second round: 26 April
Round of 16: 25 May
Quarter-finals: 16 June
Semi-finals and final: 17 June
Standing on the pitch where the Werkself players perform - for many Bayer 04 club members, this wish became reality at this year's Members' kickabout. Around 400 active participants of all ages took the opportunity to experience the BayArena from a new and special perspective. And there was also plenty going on in the stands: The event attracted more than 1,000 visitors in total and provided an atmospheric end to the season.
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Lying third in the Bundesliga, the Werkself made a faltering start in 2026 after the winter break, but gradually rediscovered winning ways and, as in the previous campaign, were among the top 16 in Europe and the top four in the DFB Pokal. In the Bundesliga, the Werkself also remained in the race for Champions League qualification right to the end. However, because setbacks repeatedly crept into the Werkself's performances between good displays and crucial games, it was not quite enough to secure a UCL spot in the end. A season with many ups and downs brought sixth place and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Part II of the review of the 2025/26 season.
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Rogier Meijer is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and returning to his native Netherlands: The 44-year-old will take over at Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on 1 July. Meijer has been part of the Werkself coaching set-up since the start of the 2025/26 season - first as assistant coach to Erik ten Hag, then on Kasper Hjulmand's staff.
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Following the final match of the 2025/26 season, the prevailing feeling was naturally one of disappointment after missing out on qualification for the Champions League. The Werkself finished the Bundesliga in sixth place, meaning they'll start the 2026/27 campaign in the Europa League. "But to talk negatively about everything now because of that would be wrong," stressed captain Robert Andrich following the final game, knowing that the past year at Bayer 04 was marked, more than almost any other, by the start of a new era and the courage to change – and in particular, the belief in a positive direction. Everyone was aware this process would need time. The first part of the 2025/26 season review.
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