
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!


Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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