“In Lisanne Gräwe we have been able to bring a top talent to our team. She has everything to settle in quickly to the Bundesliga, is a good ball-winner, and also has the necessary quality in midfield. We are very much looking forward to working with each other,” said Bayer 04 head coach Achim Feifel about the 18-year-old.
Gräwe has been at VfL Wolfsburg since 2019, primarily in Bundesliga 2 North, and she moved up to the senior team, making her Bundesliga debut at the age of 17. “I’m starting a new chapter here at Bayer 04. Of course, I have followed the club and their development in the Bundesliga and I’m looking forward to the new challenge,” said the midfielder.
The Bayer 04 Women have gained an ambitious defender in Julia Pollak. The 19-year-old clocked up her first experience on the pitch with the Bayern Munich second team in Bundesliga 2 South before moving up to the first team last term. She made six appearances in the league, two in the DFB Cup and four in the Champions League. Pollak’s first season in the top flight was crowned by winning the league title. The defender “wants to gain more match practice” and sees the move to Leverkusen as “the right next step in my career.”
Achim Feifel on the new signing: “Julia was able to prove herself in Munich in an absolute top team. She is very versatile and assertive and her technical ability from the full-back position allows her to mount attacking moves. It’s great that she’ll be wearing the Bayer 04 shirt for our team in the new season.”
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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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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The Bayer 04 Women’s squad for the coming season is continuing to take shape: Centre-back Emily Wallrabenstein has moved to Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt’s reserve team, who play in the Women’s Bundesliga 2. The 19-year-old has penned a contract until 30 June 2028.
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Bayern 04 Women have confirmed another summer signing, with midfielder Paulina Platner moving to Leverkusen from SGS Essen. The 20-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the Werkself.
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