Bayer 04 Campus

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 players, as well as the possibility of a connected 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, are too small and no longer up to date. 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 motorway. That is why Bayer 04 is planning a development, administration and training area that is adaptable in the future and allows the club to react flexibly to new requirements.

The Campus gives Bayer 04 the opportunity to combine training areas, create a more systematic exchange between departments, utilise synergies, simplify communication and establish an innovative corporate culture.

The challenge was to find a site that was sufficiently large, to which Bayer 04 had access, on which construction was permitted and on which the Campus could be reliably built within the tight time frame of four to six years. Despite an intensive search, such sites are not available in Leverkusen.

Over the past nine years, the club has comprehensively examined 70 areas for their suitability, in some cases several times, and has liaised with the relevant authorities. Bayer 04 searched not only in Leverkusen, but also in Cologne, Langenfeld, Monheim, Leichlingen and Burscheid. We are delighted that we finally succeeded in finding a suitable site on the outskirts of the city.

It is located around 15 kilometres from the BayArena and therefore within the radius that was defined as practicable from the outset. Bayer and Monheim have a long and successful history together. The site on which we want to build the Campus is right next to the Bayer Crop Science headquarters in Monheim.

Bayer 04 initially favoured an area on the Laacher Hof site in Monheim. However, in the course of the review, increasingly complex challenges for a possible approval became apparent at this site. The now prioritised site next to Bayer’s Crop Science division was originally not available. However, Bayer AG has agreed to make this site, which it owns, available for the Campus. In doing so, Bayer AG waives the possibility of developing this area at a later date.

Bayer 04 is not only building the Campus for the men’s first team. Women's football is increasingly getting the attention it deserves in Germany. The Bayer 04 Women's team is already one of the top teams in the Bundesliga. The team will continue to develop systematically thanks to better training facilities at the Campus and closer links with the medical departments. The women's U17 and U20 teams, the boys’ teams and the men's youth teams from U11 to U19 will also train on the Campus pitches and benefit from the closer proximity to the men’s senior team.

Elite sport for men, women and youth, 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 everywhere. The greatest benefit, however, is the interaction of all the decisive factors in a small space.

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.

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 elite sport can be. The Campus will provide the best examples of this. The energy and water concept prepared by internationally recognised experts, for example, will set standards for saving resources.

Bayer 04 is currently creating all the necessary conditions to make the construction of the Campus eligible for approval by the relevant authorities. That will still take some time. We are currently planning to be able to start construction in 2027. The aim is to be able to move into the Campus in 2029. This is important for Bayer 04 because training areas at the BayArena will no longer be available by 2031 at the latest due to the expansion of the A1 motorway.