The pitch at the BayArena, recently in receipt of an award from the German Football League (DFL), should be in perfect condition for the start of the Bundesliga campaign on 24-26 August particularly given the additional wear and tear associated with the group stage of the Europa League kicking off in ten weeks time on 20 September. The pitch is currently recovering after last Friday's Germany v Saudi Arabia friendly.
Work on the playing surface will soon start: Following a close cut on Tuesday, the pitch will be scarified on Wednesday with a large number of big, deep holes created on the surface. "The turf becomes compacted over time through heavy use and intense care and cutting programmes. This process makes the soil more permeable and the grass receives more air leading to improved growth," explained the Bayer 04 head groundsman Georg Schmitz. In the coming weeks, Georg and his ten-man team will be hard at work on the pitch: reseeding, mowing, fertilising and observing on a daily basis. The aim is clear: The BayArena pitch has to meet the high demands of Bayer 04 and , literally, be the basis for a successful new campaign at Leverkusen.
The neighbouring Ulrich Haberland Stadium has looked like a building site since Monday. A new, fibre-reinforced grass pitch is due to be laid in the next few weeks.
After just two points from their last four games, the situation has become trickier for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the bottom third of the table. Only three points separate the Foals from the relegation play-off spot. Coach Eugen Polanski's team is under pressure ahead of the home game against the Werkself on Saturday, 7 February (kick-off: 18:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Calling all eSports fans: On Saturday, 21 February (from 16:00 CET), the Werkself Wildcard Cup will take place at XPERION Köln (Hansaring 97, 50670 Cologne). Interested EA FC 26 amateur players will have the opportunity to win attractive prizes and a place in the VBL Open Play-offs by WOW. The play-offs are the final preliminary stage of the VBL Grand Final by WOW, the tournament for the German individual championship and, alongside the club championship (VBL CC), the most important sub-competition in the German eSports scene. Read on for information on registration.
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At its first general meeting on 5 February 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, the Frauen Bundesliga FBL e.V. made key decisions regarding the future direction of the Women’s Bundesliga. The meeting was based on the results of the negotiations with the German Football Association (DFB) over the past few weeks.
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Another efficient performance from the Werkself in the 3-0 home win against FC St. Pauli saw them reach the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third time in a row, and it was not the only record set on what was a successful evening. It meant head coach Kasper Hjulmand was delighted to "still be in with the chance of winning something". Like the coach, however, the ambitious Edmond Tapsoba also stated that he wanted to keep "improving" bit by bit: "We'll continue to give our all, no matter who we come up against." The Werkself review of the clash.
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