Around 90 members of the media took up the invitation to the press conference at the team hotel. Accompanied by a dozen camera teams, the Toluca coach Ignacio Ambriz immediately expressed his happiness at the Werkself visit to Mexico. The 57-year-old: “We wish you a warm welcome. It means a lot to us that you are our guests here.” Talking about the match, Nacho, the nickname for Ambriz, added: “It’s something special for us to be able to play against a team of this class, we will enjoy it.”
The press conference in the Diamond Room at the team hotel lasted half an hour. Gerardo Seoane thanked his Mexican colleague for his warm words and then spoke about the match against Toluca: “We’re expecting a great match for the fans and we are happy to see so many people following Bayer 04 here in Mexico.” Speaking about targets for the game, the 43-year-old coach said: “We want to represent our club and the Bundesliga to the best of our ability and also get to know new cultures. A different type of football is played here.”
At the end, Ambriz presented his Swiss fellow coach with a club pennant in a flurry of camera flashes from the numerous photographers present.
Following the press conference, the head coach had some time off – and he used it to find out more about the city of 20 million inhabitants. On a tour with his fellow coaches Patrick Schnarwiler and Alberto Encinas plus CEO Fernando Carro, there was a highlight from a great height: Seoane and Co. had a stunning view over the whole city from the 181-metre high viewing platform in the 44-storey skyscraper Torre Latinoamericana.
HERE is a report on the pre-match training session for the Werkself at the attractive academy of top-flight Mexican side UNAM Pumas.
Newcastle United have amassed nine points after five matchdays, one more in the UEFA Champions League than the Werkself. The Magpies are also steadily improving in the Premier League, where they're currently unbeaten in four games. On Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Eddie Howe's side will be the visitors at the BayArena. He's also likely to field two Germany internationals in the game. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
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In the sixth and final match of the league phase of the UEFA Youth League 2025/26, the Bayer 04 U19s have a great opportunity to advance to the knockout phase of Europe’s most prestigious youth competition for the first time. To achieve that under their own steam, they will need a win against Newcastle United at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/ free admission). In an interview with bayer04.de, managing director sport Simon Rolfes analyses the team's performances so far and their special situation. And the 43-year-old reveals what he would be happy to do without on the day of the match.
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