
Kai ‘DETO’ Wollin (PlayStation 4) and Fabian ‘B04_DUBZJE’ de Cae (XBOX ONE) qualified for the finals tournament thanks to impressive performances that saw them end third in the Club Championship. The finals will also be played in the so-called 85 mode this year where all the teams have the playing ability level of 85 and therefore have equal chances. The 24 qualifiers – twelve from the Club Championship, twelve via play-offs – play into groups of six per console. The best four players in a group go through to the Round of 16.
The previous league matchday is now almost four months ago. The anticipation is very, very big. I'm looking forward to finally being able to perform again," said B04_DUBJZE ahead of Wednesday’s start in the group stage on 24 June (from 18.00 CET/live on Twitch: b04eSports). The 22-year-old Xbox player has been drawn in an extremely high quality group on paper: In the group stage, De Cae will be playing against the reigning German champion ‘MEGABIT’ (Bremen), ‘XIMPACT10’ (Fürth) and ‘DULLENMIKE’ (Wolfsburg). "It won't be an easy task," said the Werkself player. "But if I'm able to rediscover my performance levels from the Club Championship then it's very possible to at least get through the group stage."
His counterpart on PlayStation 4 also highlights the quality of the opposition. "All the participants deserve to be here – they're the best players in Germany in the 85 mode," said 'DETO'. "Therefore it depends on who's on top form on the day and is able to produce their best performances."
The Black and Red duo on the consoles do have title ambitions after their impressive performances in the Club Championship. De Cae: "We'd be really happy if one of us can win a title for Leverkusen."
The dates of the VBL Grand Final:
24.06. – Group stage (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
25.06. – Round of 16 & quarter-finals (18.00 CET / live on Twitch: b04esports)
28.06. – Semi-finals & final (12.00 CET / live on ProSieben Maxx)

A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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