"Until the start of this week, we didn't talk much about the Youth League," stressed Runge. "We wanted to focus completely on our day-to-day work in the league and DFB Cup. But after the win in the cup at Dortmund and the draw at Mönchengladbach - two very important games for us - we're now heading into the new competition full of anticipation."
The Spaniard continued: "We gave the boys some general information on the Youth League for the first time at the start of the week. Even though a lot of stuff on the outside is different - different kits, different balls, bigger crowds, trips abroad - at the end of the day it's still 11 against 11. And the last two matches I mentioned were at Youth League level from both sides, so we're ready for Feyenoord."
Of course, Runge also knows that Feyenoord, AC Milan or even FC Salzburg are among the best clubs in the Youth League year after year. There's also the age difference: while players born in 2005 and younger are eligible for this season's Youth League, Leverkusen's squad is largely made up of players from the 2007 age group. "We've explained these circumstances to the boys once now, but we won't mention it again," Runge explained. "We certainly won't use it as an excuse for anything."
Runge wants to focus more on the positive of the European youth competition. "We can look forward to new, intercultural experiences," he said. "These kinds of games and also the travelling abroad will help the players massively in their development at this age." On the injury front, the Leverkusen coach is without Andrea Natali, Emmanuel Owen, Julien Kurowski and Larson Ferati, while Bradley Ndi is a doubt.
Bayer 04's first fixture in the 2024/25 Youth league will be streamed live on bayer04.de, in the Bayer 04 app and on Werkself-TV (commentary in German). Build-up begins 10 minutes before kick-off at 13:50 CEST.
In the Youth League, Matchdays 7 and 8 of the UEFA Champions League, which take place in the new year, will not be replicated. That means only the first six matchdays are played in the youth competition. Following the league phase, the Champions League path and the so-called Domestic Champions path, in which all European national champions compete, will be combined in the knockout phase. From there on, the opponents in the Youth League will be determined by results and not by the Champions League draw, as is the case with the league phase.
Matchday 1:
Thursday 19/09, 14:00
Feyenoord vs. Bayer 04
Matchday 2:
Tuesday 01/10, 14:00
Bayer 04 vs. AC Milan
Matchday 3:
Wednesday 23/10, 11:00
Stade Brest vs. Bayer 04
*Scheduling changes possible
Matchday 4:
Tuesday 05/11, 15:00
Liverpool vs. Bayer 04
Matchday 5:
Tuesday 26/11, 14:00
Bayer 04 vs. FC Salzburg
Matchday 6:
Tuesday 10/12, 14:00
Bayer 04 vs. Inter Milan
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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