
“Pauline expressed her desire to gain academic and sporting experience abroad. We are happy to oblige,” said Thomas Eichin, head of the Youth and Women’s sections at Bayer 04. “She’s a player with potential and great ambition. She will be able to compare herself with the best at the college over there.”
Pauline Machtens has a full-time grant to study at Syracuse University and she will also be able to carry on playing professional football for the college team. The team is in the ACC, one of the oldest leagues in American university sport. “Syracuse University offers me a real challenge and I’m grateful to Bayer 04 for allowing me to make this move,” said Machtens. “I’d like to take this opportunity to be a better player and I’m really excited at being able to start a new adventure.”
Pauline Machtens started playing at Leverkusen with the U13s; in 2019/20 she moved up from the junior section to the Women’s squad. She has made nine appearances to date.

Decision made: Germany will submit a bid to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Munich. The representatives of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) voted for Munich over Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr at their extraordinary meeting in Baden-Baden on Saturday 26 September. Berlin had already withdrawn from the vote a few days earlier.
Show more
Former Werkself star Michael Ballack, who won the German Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing in Leverkusen, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Bayer 04 sends him its best wishes!
Show more
A challenging start to what will hopefully be a long journey: The Bayer 04 women’s team kick off their new DFB Pokal campaign on Sunday (14:00 CEST) against second-division leaders FC Viktoria Berlin. Coach Roberto Pätzold expects stiff resistance in the capital – and is counting on his team’s strong away form in the Bundesliga so far this term.
Show more
Attention Werkself fans: In addition to tickets for the floodlit home match against Werder Bremen, tickets are now also available for the Bayer 04 women’s team’s two subsequent fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburger SV at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Both matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga will take place at family-friendly kick-off times on Saturday afternoons. Here is the latest information on matchday ticket sales.
Show more