Whether it's the Bayer Sports Family week, the spectacular content format 'Bayer Sports Family Duel' or now the Bayer Sports Family matchday – the historic link between Bayer 04, TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Bayer AG is being passionately revived with joint events under the Cross.
Awards for athletes
The Bundesliga home game for the Werkself against newly promoted Darmstadt is being used by the Bayer Sports Family to provide fitting awards to the Bayer sports clubs honouring their successful athletes. During half-time, Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, will present awards to athletes and para-athletes from TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Presentation of team sports
During the warm-up routine for the Werkself players on the pitch, the stadium announcers Pitti Dahl and Tobias Ufer will interview players from the Bayer Giants (basketball) and the Werkselfen (handball). The Bayer Volleys will send a video message to Leverkusen as they are currently away on their pre-season in Greece.
TSV player escorts and flagbearers
A special experience awaits for a large number of TSV young athletes. The Bayer sports clubs will provide all the player escorts, banner and flagbearers on the home matchday against Darmstadt. They will all wear their own club kits as they come into the stadium thereby representing a large number of different sports including boxing, fencing, judo and athletics. The main and shirt sponsor Barmenia is foregoing the addition of the Barmenia name. Many thanks for this generous gesture.
Join-in activities on concourse
Bayer 04 fans can get involved with different TSV sports two hours before kick-off in join-in activities on the concourse at the stadium. A signed Bayer Sports Family shirt will be drawn at the wheel of fortune and the mascots Brian the Lion (Bayer 04), Paule (TSV Bayer 04) and Lionel (Bayer Giants) will be together before the game happily posing for photographs.
A unique opportunity: Signing up for a TSV membership on the matchday at the BayArena will see the waiving of the usual membership fee of €32 for adults.
The Bayer Sports Family:
As part of the Bayer Sports Family, Bayer 04 are moving closer together to the Bayer sports clubs and Bayer AG. This historic connection is being revived with joint events like the Bayer Sports Family matchday and the Bayer Sports Family week.
Bayer 04 will provide updates on the different team and individual sports, for example with important competitions and events. And the athletes from the Giants, Werkselfen, Volleys and Co. will regularly be integrated into our reporting: From the Werkself Magazin via Werkself TV and the Bayer 04 app through to the social media channels with over ten million followers. The highlight is the content format Bayer Sports Family duel where Bayer 04 first team players compete against TSV Bayer athletes in their disciplines.
In addition, the Fußball GmbH, Bayer sports clubs and Bayer AG have plans for the future to further strengthen the partnership.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
Show more
Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
Show more
Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
Show more
Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
Show more
Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
Show more
