For this Werkself fan, his position at his favourite club represents a dream come true. "I'm very much looking forward to representing Bayer 04 in the future as the first #B04eSports talent," Said Degner who will primarily start on PlayStation for Bayer 04 and he is due to become an established member of the squad for the Virtual Bundesliga (VBL) from the autumn of 2021.
As part of a comprehensive scholarship, the talented teenager will spend a year at the sports college in Leverkusen, also attended by football players like Kai Havertz, and he will be the first student at the #B04eSports Academy. The training at the eAcademy will be provided in partnership with TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen and ensure through daily training the continual development of playing ability as well as work on tactics but also in PR activity as well as the areas of nutrition and fitness. On top of that, the student will also complete his Abitur exams at the Landrat Lucas Grammar School.
Degner impressed the management of the Bayer 04 eSports department in the several months of the selection process not only on the console but also with his soft skills such as dealing with social media. "In Paul we have found a very talented first rookie for our eAcademy who has many qualities for a successful FIFA career on the console," declared Florian Dederichs, head of internationalisation and eSports at Bayer 04. “The holistic approach of academic support and continual development of talent at the eAcademy is a unique project in Germany. Therefore, we are even happier to have found a talent from our region in Paul, which fits in perfectly with this concept."
Steffi Nerius, head of the Leverkusen sports college, added: "The Leverkusen sports college offers young competitive athletes the ideal opportunity to combine school and sport. We are looking forward to being able to look after Paul as the first sports college student at the #B04eSports Academy. In future, he will join 50 athletes from eight different types of sport and train and learn with them. It's a very exciting step for TSV Bayer 04 e.V. in partnership with the Bayer 04eSports Academy. We are happy to be the pioneers in this project."
Bayer 04 are back at the BayArena! Under the slogan “One day. Two teams. One club.”, the Leverkusen stadium grounds will be transformed into a world of experiences – with a wide range of exclusive activities both on and off the pitch. Keep track of all the highlights in our blog for the 2026 season launch.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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