Performance Centre
presented by BarmeniaGothaer
At Kurtekotten
As one of the first German clubs, Bayer 04 opened their Performance Centre at Kurtekotten presented by BarmeniaGothaer in the direct vicinity of the Bayer Works in 2000. Three grass pitches and an artificial pitch plus additional training areas including a modern support facilities form the heart of this facility. Over the course of time two additional grass pitches were added at the Performance Centre and an artificial pitch at the BayArena. That offers the oldest age groups not just proximity to the first team but also the opportunity to use the facilities at the BayArena. The teams from the U8s to the U15s and the Women's team are based at Kurtekotten while the U16, U17 and U19 teams are at home at the BayArena.
Teams
Youth section
Head of Academy: Jefta Bresser
Academy Manager: Slawomir Czarniecki
Head U8 – U15: Jörg Bittner
Head of Coaching U16s – U19s: Gerard Roca
Head of Coaching U8s – U15s: Sven Hübscher
Education manager: Frank Ditgens
Media officer: Liam Schardt
Contact
Phone: +49 (0)214 - 5000 - 1904
Email: leistungszentrum@bayer04.de
Address: Otto-Bayer-Straße 2, 51061 Köln
Management
Jefta Bresser
Date of birth: 02.02.1971
Place of birth: Wisch, Netherlands
The trained academy director and football coach took over as head of Leverkusen's performance centre in October 2023. Bresser came from Dutch second-division club De Graafschap, where he previously enjoyed five years of great success as head of the youth academy. Between 2005 and 2015, the 52-year-old was responsible for the individual development of youth players of all age groups at PSV Eindhoven, FC Fulham and Zenit St. Petersburg.
Competitions of Teams
U19: U19 DFB Nachwuchsliga
U17: U17 DFB Nachwuchsliga
U16: U16 Youth Cup
U15: U15 Regional League West
U14: U14 Youth Cup
U13: U13 Youth Cup
U12: U12 Youth Cup
U11 bis U8: individual
Frauen: Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga
Parental support
Rainer Fehl
The Kurtekotten Performance Centre has had a member of staff working full-time on the partnership with the parents of youth players at Bayer 04 since 2020.
Having a child at an academy for several years can be very demanding for the whole family. Bayer 04 are aware of that and have appointed Reiner Fehl in this role as an experienced and full-time educator.
Fehl: "Parents are a crucial and indispensable part of the sporting and personal development of young players within a football academy. They fulfil many important roles in and around training and matches. I can help them in many aspects in overcoming these complex demands."
This is not about interfering in parents' parenting work and methods but instead developing with them approaches that can help them and their children to combine elite sport, school and family and to define their role in matches and training.
Fehl: "We now have a comprehensive and interesting programme for the parents, and the partnership is going very well. We are particularly proud of several social projects from the parents that have been organised through the commitment of the parent representatives. We are on a very good path and no development is possible without the parents."
Partners
Patrons
Directions
Philosophy
Our young players receive optimum support through targeted individual and team training as well as interesting comparative games. At the same time we obviously hope that our young players develop to the maximum in an environment tailored to them to help them develop their full potential and make the step up to our own first team.
We at Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH are aware of our great responsibility when it comes to working with children and adolescents. It is therefore a matter of course for us to actively assume this responsibility for the well-being of the children and adolescents entrusted to us and to protect them from abuse, violence, and discrimination of any kind within our environment. Our child protection policy applies to all areas of the club and focuses on the protection and rights of children and adolescents.
Coaching Academy
The Coaching Academy is responsible for the continual development of style of play and the training methods of the club combined with the club philosophy, the development of the game and best practice.
Bayer 04 coaches have the opportunity to use the ideas from the Bayer 04 Coaching Academy for themselves and their development.
Trials
Bayer 04 offer open trials days for outfield players and goalkeepers for all football enthusiastic lads in Leverkusen and surrounding areas. If you would like to test your ability under the eyes of youth coaches at Bayer 04 and have the dream of playing for one of the youth teams at the Werkself then you can register for the training sessions at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre presented by BarmeniaGothaer.
News
U19 - 18.10.2026
4–3 in Bochum – U19s secure spectacular victory in stoppage time
It was a match that will live long in the memory of everyone involved: The Bayer 04 U19s celebrated their seventh win in seven matches in the DFB Youth League preliminary round – and yet it was a very special victory indeed: in the 4–3 (1–1) win at VfL Bochum 1848, no fewer than five goals came in the final quarter of an hour. As the 90th minute approached, coach Patrick Greveraars’s side found themselves behind, but then fought back in true ‘Laterkusen’ style.
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Women - 17.10.2026
Bayer 04 Women held at home by Eintracht Frankfurt
Bayer 04 Women missed out on victory in the Google Pixel Bundesliga as they were held to a draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Estrella Merino Gonzalez had put the Werkself ahead directly from a corner at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion, before Laura Freigang levelled for the visitors as it finished all square between fourth and third on Matchday 7.
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Women - 16.10.2026
‘Reinforcing our ambition’: Bayer 04 Women take on Eintracht Frankfurt
Following the international break, the Bayer 04 women’s team face their next head-to-head clash in the race for a top spot in the Bundesliga. In Saturday’s home match (14:00 CEST), the fourth-placed side host third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Head coach Roberto Pätzold is well aware of the great opportunity this presents for his team.
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Youth - 15.10.2026
Zonal defence: Goalkeeping coach training course at the BayArena
Since 2023, Bayer 04 has been organising regular free goalkeeping coach training sessions at the BayArena. As in previous years, the event attracted enormous interest in mid-October 2026. Around 140 participants – mostly goalkeeping coaches from the region, but also team and academy coaches as well as association staff – came to the Werkself stadium to gain expert knowledge on the subject of zonal marking. Through a theoretical keynote presentation and a practical session on the pitch, the participants gained insights into goalkeeping and goalkeeper training at Bayer 04.
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