Fernando Carro, CEO at Bayer 04, watched the draw in person in Monaco and said afterwards: “We can look forward to an exciting Europa League season. Marseille and Lyon are big names in European football; in Dinamo Zagreb, we’ll be facing the Croatian serial champions; and the home match against Beşiktaş is sure to be something special too. Indeed, several of our opponents are clubs that have dominated their domestic leagues for many years and won numerous league titles. We’re approaching this competition with great anticipation – and with the clear ambition to play a very important role on the European stage again this season.”
“We’ve been drawn against some very attractive opponents, including some big names. It’s going to be a challenging sporting journey across Europe,” said managing director sport Simon Rolfes, adding: “We are really motivated going into this competition and we’re placing a special focus on it this season. Our aim is to reach the Round of 16 in March via the direct route – in other words, to finish among the top 16 teams.”
In the league phase, Afonso Moreira (previously at Lyon) and Facundo Medina (at Marseille) will face their former clubs, whilst Ernest Poku will be reunited with the Black and Reds as he now plays for Beşiktaş.
Matchday 1
Wednesday 16 September, 21:00 CEST: Bayer 04 vs NK Celje (Slovenia)
Matchday 2
Thursday 15 October, 18:45 CEST: Lech Poznań (Poland) vs Bayer 04
Matchday 3
Thursday 22 October, 18:45 CEST: OFI Crete (Greece) vs Bayer 04
Matchday 4
Thursday 5 November, 21:00 CET: Bayer 04 vs Marseille (France)
Matchday 5
Thursday 26 November, 18:45 CET: GNK Dinamo (Croatia) vs Bayer 04
Matchday 6
Thursday 10 December, 21:00 CET: Bayer 04 vs Beşiktaş (Turkey)
Matchday 7
Thursday 21 January 2027, 21:00 CET: Bayer 04 vs FC Salzburg (Austria)
Matchday 8
Thursday 28 January 2027, 21:00 CET: Lyon (France) vs Bayer 04
The knockout stages begin in mid-February 2027 with the play-offs and in mid-March 2027 with the Round of 16. The final will be played in Frankfurt on Wednesday 26 May 2027.
Tickets for the first group match at home go on sale on Thursday, 3 September, at 12:00 CEST. For the home match against Beşiktaş, tickets will not be sold to new members registered from 28 August 2026. As usual, Bayer 04 will announce all further information regarding ticket sales in advance via the club media channels. Please note: The international season ticket, which guarantees fans tickets for every 2026/27 UEL home match up to and including a possible semi-final, is already sold out.
In the 2026/27 Europa League campaign, Bayer 04 will be celebrating 40 years of European football. Alongside the exclusive kit, a European range also showcases the Werkself’s history in Europe. Further information is available HERE.
Auch in der UEFA Europa League sind Club-Touren für Bayer 04-Mitglieder geplant. Details zu den Reisen gibt Bayer 04 rechtzeitig auf den klubeigenen Kanälen bekannt.
The Black and Reds kick off the new Bundesliga campaign today, Saturday 29 August (kick-off 15:30 CEST), away to newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg – and the Werkself will come up against a familiar face who is currently causing a stir at ‘Elv’. For an affordable and easy journey to the Saarland, the 1,600 travelling fans can still use the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Today’s matchday news..
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The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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The Bundesliga is back. On Saturday 29 August (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself are away to SV 07 Elversberg on matchday 1 of the new season. Ahead of the clash at the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about the importance of a successful start and the motivation of the league newcomers from the Saarland.
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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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