The club is thereby raising attention for an important issue. Every year on 17 November the focus is on premature births and associated implications. 60,000 children are preterm in Germany. That means every tenth child is born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Premature babies are the biggest child patient group in Germany. Even though chances of survival are good these days due to medical progress, many families are still confronted with this issue.
The idea of lighting up individual buildings (Purple for Preemies) originally comes from the American organisation March of Dimes and it is growing in popularity. In addition to the BayArena, other buildings to be bathed in purple include the Empire State Building in New York, the castle in Heidelberg and the Bettenhochhaus ward tower block at the Charité hospital in Berlin.
The Klinikum Leverkusen hospital is also centre stage on World Prematurity Day. Former patients and their parents have been invited to the hospital grounds to meet up for a lantern procession under the motto of 'Purple for Preemies – Lila für Frühchen'. Players from the Bayer 04 Women's team will also be at the procession to raise awareness of the issue.
Klinikum Leverkusen is the main centre for the care of premature babies for the other hospitals and clinics in the city as well as in the Bergisches Land. With around 1,600 births per year it is one of the most experienced maternity hospitals in the region. 345 premature babies were treated there last year. Given the particularly high quality of care, the smallest preterm babies with a birthweight of 500 grammes or less survive. Bayer 04 has been involved in a partnership with the hospital for many years.
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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