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.
The Werkself conceded a goal at home for the first time since the beginning of January 67 minutes into the game against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday. Jarell Quansah levelled late on for the final score of 1-1 to secure a point and avoid a first home defeat in six games. Bayer 04 were very critical of their performance after the game. The Werkself review.
Show more
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show more
From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
Show more
Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 1-1 draw against Mainz 05 on Matchday 24 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season...
A late goal secured a point for Bayer 04 at home to FSV Mainz 05 in a match that saw the Black and Reds dominant in the second half. Despite lots of possession, the Werkself initially found few gaps and fell behind after 67 minutes when Sheraldo Becker scored in a Mainz counter-attack. In the closing stages, Leverkusen threw everything forward once again and equalised through Jarell Quansah (88').
Show more
