It all started with the home game against FC Köln (0-1) in the middle of March when the Werkself played in a cream white special shirt. The limited edition shirt was sold out within a few hours of going on sale. The proceeds from the 2,000 shirts went to Ukraine aid locally in Leverkusen. In cooperation with the City of Leverkusen, the community foundation allocated the funds to regionally active bodies. The joint derby shirt campaign involving Bayer 04, Barmenia and JAKO was just one of many activities where the Werkself made a stand for peace.
In addition, shirts and jackets from the away game at Bayern Munich (1-1), signed by Bayer 04 players Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz, were auctioned. The four-figure proceeds went to the donation fund at the Leverkusen community foundation.
Fan groups and ultras have got involved in recent weeks. Practical donations, including from Bayer 04 members of staff, plus all sorts of relief supplies have been collected and then transported to Ukraine with trucks and vans in several runs.
And the relief effort continues: In the last home game against Hertha Berlin (2-1) the Nordkurve12 Fan club again collected monetary donations in four figure sums to be used for purchasing supplies for Ukraine. On Good Friday, in liaison with the Workers' Samaritan Association (ASB), these will be taken to the Polish Ukrainian border to be used to support medical transport.
Up to now, around 1,000 Ukrainian citizens, mostly women and children, have arrived in Leverkusen. They are being looked after by the City and private individuals. Leverkusen is currently preparing for the arrival of more refugees. The sports hall on Görresstraße, in the immediate vicinity of the BayArena, is to be converted into emergency accommodation. The primary aim is to provide accommodation for the refugees and give them clothing, food and daily essentials but also to ensure integration into kindergarten and school life.
Bayer 04 is organising the integration of Ukrainian schoolchildren into the Bayer 04 Soccer School and the ‘Fußball bewegt’ campaigns. This gives the youngsters the opportunity to get involved in regular physical activity with the Black and Reds.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without centre-back Edmond Tapsoba in the coming weeks. The Burkina Faso international returned to the Werkself from the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with a muscle injury.
Show more
Bayer 04 face Hamburger SV for the first time in almost eight years. Although the Hanseatic city team are often below par on the road, they are regularly in top form in front of their own fans. In particular, 18-year-old shooting star Luka Vuskovic is proving to be a real bonus for Merlin Polzin's team, both in attack and defence. However, that should not scare the Werkself: Not only was the last defeat against the newly promoted team 17 games ago, but Kasper Hjulmand's players are in with a chance of securing their fifth win in six games against HSV. Today’s matchday news.
Show more
Hamburger SV and Bayer 04 meet again in the Bundesliga for the first time in almost eight years. This Tuesday evening, 13 January (kick-off: 20:30 CET), the promoted team with impressive home form welcome the Werkself to the Volksparkstadion to round off the Hinrunde. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show more
The Werkself are away to Hamburg SV at the end of the Hinrunde in the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. The match at the newly promoted club is on Tuesday night, 13 January (kick-off: 20:30 CET). Ahead of the first encounter with HSV since 2018, Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the strengths of the opponents, lessons learnt from the home defeat against VfB Stuttgart and provided a squad update.
Show more
