For the thirteenth time in succession, Bayer 04 joined with Salzburger Land/Zell am See-Kaprun, a partner in the sponsors club, in organising the charity event. In addition to honorary captain Stefan Kießling, numerous representatives of Werkself partners had golf clubs in their hands including from main sponsor Barmenia and kit supplier Jako. Steffi Nerius, javelin World Champion in 2009 and today head of the Leverkusen Sports College, also took part in the event.
An impressive sum of €6,850 was raised this year primarily from the entry fees paid by the participants. Manuel Bast, director of the Leverkusen community foundation, accepted the cheque from Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes and Meinolf Sprink, director of fans/community at the Werkself. Rolfes and Werkself head coach Gerardo Seoane joined the group in the evening.
Dr. Bernd Schröder, director of marketing and sales at Bayer 04, judged the thirteenth charity golf tournament to be a success: "This event is now an established institution at Bayer 04. Many thanks to Salzburger Land/Zell am See-Kaprun who rounded off the day with Austrian specialities and music as they do every year. We would also like to thank all the golfers who raised a great contribution with their entry fees to support the Leverkusen community foundation."
New Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez has arrived in Leverkusen! At midday on Friday, the 42-year-old spoke in a press conference at the BayArena about his philosophy and his aims. Managing director sport Simon Rolfes also discussed the reasons for appointing the former Toulouse boss.
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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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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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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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