
Kai ‘Deto’ Wollin started for the fourth-placed Black and Reds against Sascha ‘M_ocki’ Mockenhaupt on PlayStation. The Wiesbaden player, normally playing as a central defender in the second division, was called up as a late replacement to the eSport squad at the Hessen club at the start of January. He had to settle for a 2-1 defeat in his first-ever VBL game as ‘Deto’ picked up the first win for Leverkusen. The #B04eSports player still had plenty of praise for his opposite number: “His mentality was really impressive. Of course, he knows from playing football that you can carry on pushing forward, even if you go behind, and do the best you can.”
In the second one-on-one clash, Fabian ‘B04_Dubzje’ de Cae played his XBOX opponent Simon ‘Bremo’ Döring. After being 2-1 down at half-time, ‘B04_Dubzje’, in the person of Lucas Alario, secured the next win for Bayer 04 with a late brace – and that brought points four, five and six on the night.
The situation ahead of the final two-on-two clash could not have been better from a Leverkusen perspective. However, Wiesbaden, now represented by Alexander ‘Bono’ Rauch and Sascha ‘M_ocki’ Mockenhaupt on the console, went into half-time in the lead. And the Hessen team also dominated the second half and Törles Knöll, operated by ‘Bono’, scored in the last minute to make it 2-0. Afterwards, ‘Deto’ criticised the lack of efficiency in his team: “We had a lot of good moves and did a lot right up to their penalty area. Unfortunately, the final pass was always the wrong one.”
The 6-3 overall win for Leverkusen puts them on 102 points in second place in the table. The current league leaders are Borussia Mönchengladbach (105) and Greuther Fürth (100) are third. Werder Bremen, leaders before this matchday, have slipped to fourth place on 98 points but they have a game in hand on their rivals.
The #B04eSports duo are in action again on Wednesday 19 February on the penultimate VBL matchday. From 20.30 CET they play FC Augsburg, currently sixteenth in the table. ‘Deto’ is all set for the run-in: “Anything can happen in two matchdays. We’ll do our best and see where we end up.”


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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