
The next eight days at the training camp are intended to tune up Bayer 04 ahead of a blistering start to the new campaign.
Tour d'Autriche
So it was straight to the training ground after checking in to the team hotel. Karim Bellarabi, Chicharito and Co. got on mountain bikes to cover the eight kilometres to the familiar Alois Latini Stadium on the banks of Lake Zell where Bayer 04 have prepared for the new season for the past three years. A short tour of Austria and the perfect warm-up after the previous day’s friendly against FC Porto (1-1) and the long day on the road before completing a 30-minute recovery session to be ready to start the hard work on Friday.
Three former Salzburg men
A number of Bayer 04 fans were in attendance and they began their vocal rehearsals for the forthcoming campaign. The Werkself were welcomed with open arms when they landed at Salzburg Airport. Above all, Roger Schmidt, Kevin Kampl and André Ramalho attracted a number of fans in search of autographs and selfies who remembered their successful time at RB Salzburg with several title wins. All three still enjoy an excellent reputation in SalzburgerLand.
Brandt meets Krahn
While the team-mates are busy for the next week or so Thursday marks the start of a special mission for Lars Bender and Julian Brandt. Both Werkself pros have the honour of representing Germany at the Olympics in Brazil and the coach Horst Hrubesch has invited his squad to a three-day training camp in Frankfurt before setting off to Sugar Mountain on Saturday. Brandt posed for a photo in Frankfurt with Annike Krahn, the Bayer 04 Women’s Bundesliga preparing for Rio 2016 with the Germany squad.
#B04inAustria – Latest info
Using the hashtag #B04inAustria you can keep up-to-date with information, stories and sound bites from the Werkself training camp. Log-in to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat – it’s worth it!


Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.
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After 62 days of preparation, the time has finally come: the Werkself kick off the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season on Sunday (16:00 CEST) with an away match at RB Leipzig. Following a major shake-up over the summer, with eleven players leaving and twelve new signings, initial impressions from the past few weeks have given manager Roberto Pätzold great cause for optimism.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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