
It is now established during the current campaign: Whenever there is an international break, the Werkself take the opportunity to play a friendly at the Haberland Stadium – and viewers of bayer04.de and Facebook can follow the match live at home on the PC or on smartphones. That will happen again in two weeks time: The Werkself entertain second division VfL Bochum in the shadows of the Bay Arena on Thursday 22 March. The game at the Haberland Stadium kicks off at 15.00 CET and entrance is free of charge.
The match takes place in the week after the derby at FC Köln (18 March) and ahead of the home game against FC Augsburg (31 March). The international players will be away with their respective national sides and the rest of the squad will take part in a practice match against a club from a lower league – which always provides head coach Heiko Herrlich the chance to give players time on the pitch who don't regularly play in competitive fixtures. The meeting with Bochum will be the second time the Black and Reds have faced the Blue and Whites this term: Bayer 04 played VfL in the first international break of the 2017/18 season on 31 August last year – with Bochum coming out on top in a 2-1 win with goals from Lukas Hinterseer and Johannes Wurtz. Marlon Frey scored the goal for the Werkself.
This will be the eighth friendly of the season for Bayer 04 at the Haberland Stadium following on from games against Bochum, Fortuna Köln, MSV Duisburg, SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Preußen Münster, SF Lotte and Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. The duel with VfL also brings a reunion with Robin Dutt: The former Werkself coach (2011 to April 2012) recently took over the helm at Bochum and he has been brought in ensure that VfL win the battle to avoid relegation and stay in the second division.

Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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