Some 100 fans took up the invitation from Bayer 04 and came to the Hotel Tauern Spa in Zell am See-Kaprun. Meinolf Sprink, director of fans/community, greeted the fans on the terrace of the restaurant. "Welcome! We are very happy that we can finally meet here again and talk to each other after the enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic," said the 63-year-old.
That was followed by a Q & A session with Simon Rolfes. The honorary captain and current sporting managing director was enthusiastic about the past few days in Salzburger Land: "We not only have great weather but also a fantastic atmosphere – both in the team and with the coaching staff as well as with the fans." The 40-year-old went on to answer questions on the squad and he also provided a brief preview of the forthcoming Champions League campaign.
The players and fans met up for a group photo at the Alois Latini Stadium on Tuesday, and today there was the traditional kickabout between Bayer 04 staff and fans ahead of the meeting with the fans. The Werkself team included Simon Rolfes, honorary captain Stefan Kießling and team liaison manager Hans-Peter Lehnhoff.
All the players were exhausted but clearly happy after two 20-minute halves. "Of course, I'm happy that we were able to win the game again this year," said Rolfes with a wink of the eye when he spoke to the fans later on.
The fixture details for the Bayer 04 Women’s first match in the 2026/27 DFB Pokal has been confirmed: As announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday morning, the Leverkusen Women will face second-tier side FC Viktoria Berlin in the first round on Sunday 27 September at 14:00 CEST.
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Once again, well over 100 Werkself fans were delighted to receive an invitation from the club’s record appearance-maker, Rüdiger Vollborn, to the sold-out Schwadbud at the BayArena. This time, the supporters listened as the club historian provided fascinating, exclusive insights into the period from Bayer 04 being founded in 1904 to the club’s promotion to the Bundesliga in 1979. A journey through time is also planned for the upcoming ‘Rudi lädt ein’ event in early November – this time focusing on the years of the Nazi regime.
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Getting in the mood for the new season together, exchanging ideas and looking ahead to the coming months: Bayer 04 welcomed partners to the BayArena for the annual sponsors season-launch event. In a relaxed atmosphere, the management, head coach and players came together with representatives from partner companies to celebrate the start of the 2026/27 season.
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Happy children’s faces at the SSV Lützenkirchen training ground: For the 25th time, the Birkenberg soccer school – organised by SportBund Leverkusen – offered participating youngsters an exciting holiday activity. Meeting a Bayer 04 player has now become a cherished tradition. This time, Ibrahim Maza visited the 150 children and spoke to them about his World Cup experiences, amongst other things. “It’s always lovely to see the children’s enthusiasm for football,” said the 20-year-old, after bringing a sparkle to many eyes with selfies and autographs.
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