The first leg in Switzerland will be played on Thursday 18 February. The second leg at the BayArena is a week later on Thursday 25 February. UEFA will confirm the kick-off times of 18.55 CET or 21.00 CET shortly.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes: “This draw is very interesting. Switzerland against Germany - that always has its appeal. The Young Boys Bern are not to be underestimated. They’re showing their class as the leaders in the Swiss league. We’re looking forward to the games. Our clear target is to go through to the Round of 16.”
Bayer 04 finished top of Group C with 15 points; the narrow 1-0 defeat with ten men at Slavia Prague is the only reverse for the Werkself this term. The team under head coach Peter Bosz also set a new German record with 21 goals scored in the group stage of the Europa League.
Round of 32 draw in full:
Wolfsberger AC (Austria) v Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) v Club Brugge (Belgium)
Real Sociedad (Spain) v Manchester United (England)
Benfica (Portugal) v Arsenal (England)
Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) v AC Milan (Italy)
Royal Antwerp (Belgium) v Rangers (Scotland)
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) v Leicester City (England)
FC Salzburg (Austria) v Villarreal (Spain)
SC Braga (Portugal) v AS Roma (Italy)
Young Boys Bern (Switzerland) v Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany)
FK Krasnodar (Russia) v Dinamo Zagreb (Serbia)
Molde FK (Norway) v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Germany)
FC Granada (Spain) v Napoli (Italy)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) v Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
OSC Lille (France) v Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Olympiakos (Greece) v PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
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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