
There were enthusiastic renditions of 'Happy Birthday, Volli' amongst the Werkself squad throughout the day. Before breakfast, Kevin Volland was the recipient of lots of handshakes, embraces and congratulations – before the training session where there was a serenade for the 26-year-old. Many happy returns, Kevin!
The training camp is primarily aimed at making intensive progress in improving fitness levels. No wonder, as two weeks after returning from Salzburger Land the Werkself have the first competitive encounter of the new campaign with the DFB Cup tie (18 August) away to CfR Pforzheim. But that doesn't mean that tactics took a back seat. "We did a huge amount of tactical work in the first few weeks and now we're carrying that on at the training camp," explained Herrlich at this afternoon's press conference in the team hotel. That was repeated in the first part of the second session of the day. But then the focus was once again on the physical side of the game – with an intensive fitness work-out. No holds barred.
More good news today when Panos Retsos and Charles Aránguiz were able to return full training after their recent periods on the sidelines. And Karim Bellarabi, who was rested after suffering the worse effects of the heat, was also able to put his boots on again today – after a solo session this morning, he may be able to join in with the full training session tomorrow afternoon. Keeper Lukas Hradecky – the only member of the Werkself group at the training camp – will have to keep away from training. In the shadow of the training ground (and his team-mates) in Zell am See, the Finn completed a cardio-programme and fitness drills in the mornings.











Hats off. At the morning session, the Werkself received a vocal reception from some 30 fans from back home. In return, they were welcomed by head coach Heiko Herrlich in the stands – each with a handshake from the boss. The 46-year-old coach had a chat with the Bayer 04 fans; thanking them for their support last season. Respect indeed.



With temperatures over 30 degrees at the second training session in the afternoon, the coaching staff certainly put the players through their paces. A visit to Lake Zell provided a welcome opportunity for the Werkself to cool down. Led by birthday boy Kevin Volland, Julian Baumgartlinger and skipper Lars Bender the whole squad took the plunge in the lake. The trio led the way diving into the water from a wooden jetty with their team-mates joining in the fun. Others remained on the banks cooling their legs – as far as the 'lake monster' Sven Bender spared his team-mates... ;-)









After the final training session of last season and the extended break due to the World Cup, Julian Brandt finally rejoined his team-mates on the training ground today. It was no surprise the Germany international was in demand with the members of the media present, as well as with fans and Bayer 04 TV. The 22-year-old did not miss the chance to do the Bayer 04 Instagram story on Monday between the training sessions. Talking of which: Via the hashtag #B04inAustria (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) it is possible to keep up-to-date with the Werkself in Salzburger Land round the clock. It's worth a look.


Will the Bayer 04 U19s take the next step towards their first appearance in the knockout stage of the UEFA Youth League in the away game at Manchester City? Coach Kevin Brok is well aware of this historic opportunity, but he's not about to start worrying about the maths: "We're not concerned with the question of what might be good enough. We invest everything we can and always aim for the maximum. That's our way." The game on this penultimate Matchday 5 of the league phase takes place on Tuesday, 25 November (kick-off: 16:00 CET) at the Manchester City Academy Stadium. Werkself TV will be broadcasting the whole match exclusively for Bayer 04 club members live from 15:50 CET....
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€1,000 and food for a good cause: In keeping with the long-standing cooperation between Bayer 04 and the Tafel Leverkusen e.V. food bank, the U19s are also supporting the charitable organisation in the region. In addition to the generous cheque the team were able to donate to an organisation of their choice as a result of their participation in the UEFA Youth League, coach Kevin Brok's lads donated €500 worth of food - financed by their own team kitty. Ferdinand Pohl, Jesper Schlich and Co. also actively helped to stow the food in the Tafel's premises.
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Bayer 04's impressive run of form has not been affected by the international break: The Werkself followed up their 6-0 victory over Heidenheim with a 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg that sees them move up into a Champions League spot in the Bundesliga for the first time this season. In the first half, it was an outstandingly cool and consistent performance by the team under head coach Kasper Hjulmand, who earned a special record at Bayer 04 on Saturday. Find out all about the win at the Volkswagen Arena in the Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg on the 11th matchday of the Bundesliga 2025/26...
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Bayer 04 delivered impressive proof of their strength at VfL Wolfsburg: The Black and Reds produced a very efficient performance in the 3-1 win, especially in the first half with some clinical finishing. Jonas Hofmann (9'), Edmond Tapsoba (24') and Malik Tillman (33') scored before the break, before Vavro reduced the deficit for the home side after the restart (57').
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