
Friendly: Bayer 04 U10 v JFS Köln 19-1
The U10s were full of fun and tempo at the Academy and they quickly established a lead early on. The Bayer 04 lads ended up securing a runaway victory.
Friendly: Bayer 04 U11 v VfL Bochum 12-2
The first third against physically and skillfully strong VfL team developed into a fast-paced encounter with lots of goalscoring opportunities for both sides. The Werkself took quick to nil lead but Bochum fought back to level before the first break.
The Bayer 04 lads gradually took control in the following two thirds and were able to achieve a clear win in the end.
U12 tournament in Sleeuwijk (NL):Fourth place
For the U12s it was the first chance in Sleeuwijk to play on a big pitch and the Bayer 04 lads performed really well in the 11-a-side match. After three wins and one defeat against Dutch teams they faced Twente Enschede in the semi-finals.
The Dutch side came out on top with a 3-1 win meaning the Werkself lads went through to the third-place play-off. It was an evenly balanced match against FC Zwolle with neither side able to win the game in normal time. The exciting penalty shootout ended in a narrow for-three defeat for the U12s.
Related information:
Info on Bayer 04 Youth sides


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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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