
And they also appear to be getting on really well off the pitch. In a photo shoot for the new Bayer 04 catalogue the strike duo posed for a number of photos and enjoyed every minute of it. At the end they went on their mobile phones to send a message to Werkself fans across the world from the training camp in Zell am See-Kaprun.
>> Click here for the new official merchandise
Goals galore in practice match
Volland and Chicharito looked sharp on the training ground before the photo shoot. A practice match with two 30-minute halves at the Alois Latini Stadium they played up front in the team in red training tops and managed to score a goal or two. The friendly match against Regional League side SC Teutonia on Saturday night was abandoned on twelve minutes due to a thunderstorm.
>> The practice match was shown live on Facebook and is available on demand <<
All clear for Wendell
There was a scare at the end of the first training session on Sunday. Brazilian defender Wendell fell awkwardly and had to limp off the pitch. That was a reminder of his serious injury at the end of April but he was given the all clear in the afternoon. He took it easy in the second session working on his own but he should return to full training today – the same applies to Julian Baumgartlinger who has yet to train with the Werkself in his own country due to a groin injury.
Leno meets Özcan
His fellow countryman Ramazan Özcan also missed out for a few days with a slight groin problem but ‘Rambo’ was almost fully fit again on Sunday so he was able to train with new team-mate Bernd Leno for the first time. Leno returned from holiday at the weekend after the European Championships.
Black and red cable car
The club colours of black and red are a common sight around the team hotel in Kaprun and the training ground in Zell am See. A valley station on the Areitbahn saw Stefan Kießling board a black and red car with a Bayer 04 logo last year as one of the first to make the journey up the mountain.
#B04inAustria - “What does Wuchtel mean?”
Anybody looking to improve their knowledge of Austrian German can follow a beginners language course with Julian Baumgartlinger and Rambo Özcan. Every day, the two new signings introduce fans to a new word commonly used in Austria online under the hashtag #B04inAustria . You can also follow #B04inAustria to keep up-to-date with the movements of the Werkself in SalzburgerLand. It’s worth a look. There is also a video message from Chicharito and Kevin Volland.


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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