Good for Bayer 04. Good for MONHEIM.

If you want to remain at the top internationally, you need the best possible conditions. This includes the multi-layered and innovative training of young athletes, as well as the possibility of a networked and continuously learning organisation of all Bayer 04 units. The club has lacked the space for this for some time now. The current training areas have not been sufficient for the further professionalisation of the work of the men's, women's and youth teams for several years. Due to the lack of space at the BayArena, Bayer 04 currently has to divide its work between several locations. Each of these locations for professional players, youth teams and administration, which are also far away from each other, is too small and outdated. This is a competitive disadvantage compared to many other clubs at this level.

This problem will be exacerbated by 2031 at the latest, when the space at the BayArena will be further reduced due to the expansion of the A1 autobahn. That is why Bayer 04 is planning an education, work and training area that is adaptable in the future and with which the club can react flexibly to new requirements. The Campus gives Bayer 04 the opportunity to combine training areas, create a more systematic exchange between areas, utilise synergies, simplify communication and establish an innovative corporate culture.

Elite sport for men, women and juniors, a modern corporate structure and sustainability - these are the pillars that support Bayer 04. And in each of these areas, the club wants to be a pioneer, enable excellence and follow its own Bayer path. The Campus makes it possible to improve across the board. The greatest benefit, however, is the interplay of all the decisive factors in a small area.

Bayer 04 is planning one of the most innovative and sustainable football training centres in Europe. The ambitious goal is for the Campus to set national and international standards.

In addition to the Werkself, the boys' and men's teams from U11 to U19 level will also train on the pitches at the Campus and benefit from the closer proximity to the professional players. The pitches will generally be used during the week until 6.30 pm at the latest.

At the weekend, the U11 to U16 matches will be played here - usually between 11 am and 5 pm. They will deliberately be played on the pitch that is furthest away from our neighbours. The U17s, U19s and the men's and women's first teams will continue to play in Leverkusen.

The Campus would create around 150 new jobs at Bayer 04. The club currently estimates that around 350 people will work there. Local service providers, which Bayer 04 would utilise during the construction phase and on an ongoing basis during operations, would generate more revenue because of the Campus. The club wants to foster cooperation with the local football clubs and support them in their important work. That is why, for example, 1. FC Monheim and Sportfreunde Baumberg hope that the Campus will be built in Monheim.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen is keen to minimise the impact on its neighbours. This is the reason for the green corridor and thus the distance to residential buildings was considerably widened in the revised plans following comments from neighbouring residents. It is now between 115 and 260 metres. The club has planned to locate the pitches where matches will be played at weekends at an especially large distance from residential buildings.

There are a whole series of requirements for a Bundesliga club to be granted a licence to play from the DFL. A club must fulfil financial, sporting and legal requirements. It also needs a valid building and operating licence for a stadium. This requires, for example, a fire protection concept, a safety concept and a traffic concept that regulates how traffic streams are channelled and where cars and buses can park. Due to the expansion of the A1 motorway, none of these three requirements will be feasible in their currently approved form from 2031 at the latest. Autobahn GmbH will require an 80 metre-wide corridor of additional space during the construction period. This directly affects the escape and rescue routes, fire service access routes and areas for media and car parks, which are required for journalists and people with disabilities, for example. And it will also affect all other residents of the Stelze.

In order to obtain the building and operating licence, Bayer 04 must then use the areas at the BayArena where training currently takes place. Once Bayer 04 has moved onto the Campus and is no longer dependent on the training grounds at the BayArena, the necessary access roads and paths can be installed there. If this does not happen, Bayer 04 will not fulfil essential criteria for being granted the licence. You can find out more about the DFL's licensing procedure HERE.

Sustainability is one of the guiding principles in the planning of the Campus. The club is aware of its social responsibility and wants to show how sustainable top-class sport can be. The Campus is intended to provide the best examples of this. Internationally recognised experts are currently working on an energy and water concept that will set standards in the conservation of resources. Bayer 04 is in contact with several colleges, universities and research institutes in order to incorporate the latest scientific findings into the project.

The results of this interaction can also provide local authorities in the region with findings for planning procedures beyond the Campus project. New types of turf that contain little to no plastic, new backfilling for artificial turf surfaces, filter systems for microplastics and organic fertiliser alternatives are being investigated.

Independent experts have analysed this. They confirm the Campus would not noticeably change the fresh air situation. This is also due to the fact there will mainly be flat football pitches and just one building on the site. The fresh air corridor will therefore be preserved for the residents of Monheim.

Bayer 04 has extensive experience in the precise control of lighting. There will be no games at the Bayer 04 Campus involving senior teams with media coverage. Therefore, no particularly bright lighting is required. The club is looking into a range of noise protection measures. For example, the Bayer 04 coaches do not use whistles during training. These are reserved for referees. We are working with experts to develop further measures to minimise the impact on local residents.

The number of natural, artificial and hybrid turf pitches at the Campus depends on several factors. In addition to the question of which pitches are ideal for the various training scenarios, their impact on nature, climate, energy and water consumption as well as the intensity of use of the pitch types are also decisive factors. Bayer 04 is currently in dialogue with developers, experts and the relevant departments of the authorities.

Bayer 04 wants to utilise the latest scientific findings and work with the regulatory authorities to develop a plan that is not only groundbreaking for this project, but can also provide insights for other construction projects in the region. We are guided by the goal of essentially dispensing with the use of drinking water and using effective water storage in the form of a water circulation system and supplementary wells to cover the water requirements on site without significantly affecting the groundwater. The need for water depends to a large extent on the type of construction of the training pitches.

Artificial turf requires the least amount of water. Water is only needed a few times a year to keep a cork infill moist. However, the risk of injury to athletes is highest on artificial turf. This type of turf also contains plastic components. Natural turf requires significantly more water. This also applies to hybrid turf, a hybrid turf system made from natural grass and synthetic fibres, which currently offers the highest quality for professional football. In addition to the water requirement and the sporting requirements, the intensity of use also varies depending on the type of pitch. An artificial turf pitch can withstand frequent use - so you need fewer pitches. Natural turf pitches can be played on less intensively, so the surface area required increases. Hybrid turf surfaces combine the positive characteristics of the other two types of pitch.

Bayer 04 is currently working with various regulatory bodies and engineering offices as well as universities and research institutes to find a balance between turf types, water requirements and other environmental issues. For example, new turf systems that contain little to no plastic are being tested in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University. The experts we have commissioned are currently examining various water circulation systems in order to keep as much water as possible in circulation, for example with the help of cisterns or storage tank systems.

The aim here is to ensure that sufficient water continues to seep away from the surface to use it for replenishing groundwater. Some of these systems are also potentially suitable for collecting and retaining water after heavy rainfall. This allows water to seep away gradually through the topsoil. Which systems are approved and in what combination will ultimately be decided by the relevant authorities, who Bayer 04 is currently in dialogue with. Over the further course of planning, the advantages and disadvantages of the systems must be thoroughly analysed and weighed up.

The Campus has no influence on the price of water for the citizens of Monheim. Bayer 04 would like to do without drinking water as far as possible. Water circulation systems and wells are to contribute to this. The club is currently in consultation with engineering offices and specialised authorities. The fact Monheim City Council has cancelled the contract with the Langenfeld-Monheim waterworks association has nothing to do with the Bayer 04 Campus.

No, the site on Alfred-Nobel-Straße is not located in a water protection area. The area is currently used for agricultural purposes, but is already designated as a commercial zone. The area at Laacher Hof, which Bayer 04 did consider for the Campus, is located in water protection zone IIIA. Bayer 04 considered that site with its extensive technical and innovative solutions to be fundamentally suitable for the Campus. However, the local authorities and the regulatory bodies expressed concerns. This is the reason why Bayer 04 is no longer planning the Campus there.

The Bayer 04 Campus is to set standards for sustainable construction and operation. The energy requirements are currently being determined in a feasibility study by the architects and specialist planners so that sustainable concepts can be developed for the construction and management of the facility. As the project is still at a very early stage of planning, it is too early to provide precise figures. In principle, however, synergies with existing energy sources in the neighbourhood are already being sought and various sustainable energy sources are being examined.

Bayer 04 is in close contact with the company Guppyfriend, which specialises in the reduction of microplastic emissions. The club is aware that artificial turf pitches - especially those with plastic granules - can release microplastics. With this in mind, Bayer 04 plans to use only artificial turf pitches with cork infill on the new Campus pitches and to lay natural turf and hybrid turf surfaces. The club is also working with RWTH Aachen University and specialised companies to examine the use of new turf systems that contain little to no plastic. This filter system can also mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall events that wash microplastics into the surrounding streets in this area.

Bayer 04 is a private investor. Both the development planning procedure and the construction project itself, as well as subsequent operation, will be financed by Bayer 04 after consultation with Bayer AG. No taxpayer money will go into the project. Where possible, Bayer 04 will use regional companies and service providers for construction and operation of the Campus.

2015 - 2023: Search for an area of approximately 30 hectares where Bayer 04 can consolidate all previous sites. The site at Laacher Hof is discussed for the first time. The local governments express concerns and suggest that the area under consideration be expanded. This also includes the area around the Kurtekotten Performance Centre.

2018 - 2021: The investigations continue. The City of Cologne is also drawing up a development plan for the Kurtekotten Performance Centre. Due to its proximity to the Chempark, this only allows for a minimal expansion of approximately 1.5 pitches. This area is too small for the Bayer 04 Campus due to the restrictions imposed by the Seveso regulations, as confirmed by the Cologne city council.

2021 - 2022: The Cologne and Düsseldorf councils ask to examine whether the Campus can be spread over several locations. The location analyses will be further specified in coordination with the local government bodies. Due to a lack of alternatives, the area at Laacher Hof is considered once again.

2022 - 2023: Bayer 04 reduces the project scope. Some of the existing sites are to be retained. The area sought is therefore only 22 hectares in size. The final site analysis is available in August 2023. Bayer 04 decides to continue operating the Kurtekotten Performance Centre for young talented players with very limited expansion options. The young talents will no longer live and train at the same location as originally planned. Bayer 04 is planning to build its own "House of Talent" in Leverkusen to house them. In addition, the club will continue to rent external property for storage and logistics in Leverkusen, as originally planned.

2023 - today: The site at Laacher Hof is comprehensively examined and discussed with the local authorities and regulatory bodies. Bayer 04 considers this site with innovative technical solutions to be fundamentally worthy of approval. The local authorities and specialised bodies have concerns about drinking water protection.

The area on Alfred-Nobel-Straße / Ida-Siekmann-Straße opposite the CropScience Campus in Monheim is being analysed at the suggestion of the local government. The structural requirements for professional administrative and sporting operations will be analysed. At the same time, the further development of the framework conditions will be considered during the various approval phases. Bayer 04 presents the revised plans in November 2025. The area required for the Campus is now only 14.8 hectares.

The DFL considers a maximum distance of 15 kilometres or a maximum travel time of 20 minutes to be acceptable. Bayer 04 has calculated the accessibility from the BayArena for each potential location. Ideally, the players should also be able to cover the distances by bicycle and public transport. The site on Alfred-Nobel-Straße is 15.3 kilometres away from the BayArena. The proximity between school, training and the children's and young people's homes is important here. The talents should have the shortest possible journey times so that they can combine school, training and leisure. The training network, which includes schools, the part-time boarding school and the future House of Talent, is to be maintained or optimised with regard to the competitive situation.

There are already valid development plans for part of the area, development plan no. 55M and development plan 59M. These plans define commercial areas as well as traffic and green spaces north of Alfred-Nobel-Strasse - without the need for further authorisation. Bayer could erect buildings up to 24 metres high there at any time. While a sewer connection is required for this part of the site, the water on the Bayer 04 Campus is designed to seep away.

The council has decided by secret ballot to terminate the previous procedure. That does not mean a campus cannot be built on the site, but that it will not be built in the form originally planned. The CDU, SPD, Greens, FDP, PETO and DIE LINKE have given assurances that they are still interested in constructive talks on the Campus. These are already underway. Bayer 04 has submitted a significantly revised plan that incorporates the key points that have been raised by critics in recent months.

Over the past few months, we have listened to what the people of Monheim have to say and found out what is important to them in many local discussions. That is why we have significantly adapted our planning. We have reduced the required area by a third. And only a part of it will be sealed off. We have dispensed with two complete training pitches. We have significantly increased the distance to the neighbours to between 115 and 260 metres. The multi-storey car park is not on the Campus site as originally planned, but is now to be integrated into the existing Bayer site.

We are planning a path along the edge of the Campus that will provide walkers, joggers and cyclists with a new route through the natural environment. We want to design this together with the people of Monheim.

We propose significantly greater participation than is required by law. We suggest setting up a joint working group. We also propose setting up a working group for "Residents, citizens' initiative and other interested parties". We propose switching from a supply-related development plan, as previously planned, to a project-related development plan. This has considerable advantages for the local authority. It can define in more detail and more precisely what is to be built on this site.

If a majority on the council signal that they can imagine the Campus on this site in principle, we will continue with the planning on the basis presented. We will then specify the concrete design, commission the necessary expert reports and develop the plans in association with Monheim City Council. The dialogue with the people of Monheim is particularly important to us. We will incorporate their suggestions and ideas into our planning.

We provide ongoing information on this website and plan events and campaigns to present our plans to the people of Monheim and get to know their ideas. You can submit questions at any time to: kontakt-zukunft@bayer04.