At the original sites there are information boards and other optical attractions. These show fans and visitors in a very approachable fashion what happened there since the founding of the club in 1904.
NK12 board member Oliver 'Wuppi' Willutzki explains how this project came about: "About five years ago we got a tip that there was still an old pillar from the 'Stadion am Stadtpark' ground of 1932 in the city park. That was the crucial event for us to set up the football tour route. Then we did research into other historic venues in the city and and then began to set it up."
One stand-out sight is the reproduction of the old entrance to the Stadion am Stadtpark in its original position. Large signs on the lamp posts lead visitors to the next stop on the route. For example, a corner arc has been painted in the Neulandpark – exactly where the ‘Dhünn pitch’ was, which was the first home ground for the Leverkusen football players up to 1932.
Leverkusen's mayor Uwe Richrath was at the unveiling and opening of the football route. "We want to tell the impressive story of this club. Bayer 04 and the Werkself are part and parcel of the city of Leverkusen," said the 60-year-old. "This project is terrific!"
The Leverkusen football route is not only visible in situ. NK 12 have made this Black and Red experience accessible to Werkself fans throughout Germany and worldwide. Click HERE for the online version of the route with a host of videos.
For the initiators of the tour the highlight was and is bringing the special history of the Werkself to the people. Willutzki: "The club was founded by workers and reached the top flight for the first time in 1951. The players have played with the cross on their shirts for over 80 years – and not for commercial purposes but for reasons of identification. Bayer 04 are undoubtedly a club with tradition."
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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