At 10.21 CEST, Robert Andrich joined Julian Baumgartlinger and Mitchell Weiser on the pitch next to the BayArena. After the obligatory greetings, the new player at the Werkself completed the whole session. The 26-year-old joined Leverkusen from Union Berlin at the start of the week. Head coach Gerardo Seoane had words of praise for the midfielder following the morning session: "He brings a certain competitive mentality, strong physique and a good passing game. We know what we're getting with him and are happy that he's joined us."
Like Andrich, Bob Schoos also experienced his first day at work at Bayer 04 on the pitch. The new Werkself fitness coach had been working with the first team at Schalke 04 for the past two years and before that the Luxemburg-born coach worked at the TSG Hoffenheim academy for four years.
Newcomer Schoos is now a work colleague of Bayer 04 old hand Schahriar Bigdeli. The former German long jump champion has been looking after the fitness of the Werkself players since 2006. However, the 41-year-old has been sidelined in recent weeks after injuring a knee ligament. Now the splints are off and he is back on the training ground. Good to see you again.
And there's more good news on the personnel front from the Bayer 04 camp as Bigdeli spent the morning session with another returnee: youngster Florian Wirtz. The 18-year-old missed the first two games of the new season due to injury. He is now working hard on making his return to the squad. Head coach Gerardo Seoane on the young offensive player: "We're gradually building up Flo's training and seeing how his body reacts to the stress and strain. All in all, he is on the right track."
Timothy Fosu-Mensah is in a similar position even if his return to full training is expected later. The right-back suffered a torn cruciate at the start of March. Like Wirtz, the 23-year-old completed an individual session on the pitch on Tuesday. Gerardo Seoane looked impressed with the hard work the Dutchman put into training: "He's here every day, often even trains twice a day and he always has a positive attitude. But with him it will probably take to October or November until he can return to full training."
With all today's positive news, there are unfortunately some bad tidings: Right-back Jeremie Frimpong had to finish training early due to muscular problems. It remains to be seen whether the Dutchman will be an option for the forthcoming home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, 21 August (kick-off: 18.30 CEST).
Bayer 04 announced another new signing on Monday in addition to Robert Andrich: Piero Hincapie. The left-footer came to Leverkusen from the Argentinian top-flight club CA Talleres and he is set to play as a central defender. At the moment, the 19-year-old is in quarantine for five days and he will join the team at the end of the week. Head coach Gerardo Seoane believes Piero has "huge potential."
Lars and Sven Bender are no longer playing in professional football. The long-standing Werkself players ended their professional careers in the summer. However, the twins never thought of turning their backs on football. The 32-year-olds are now playing for TSV Brannenburg, the club that they were at as teenagers, in the ninth division – and they are really enjoying their new environment. "It's incredible fun. We want to give something back to the region," said Sven Bender to the broadcaster ran. His twin brother Lars added: "There's always a crate of beer here!" And the long-standing Leverkusen players richly deserve that. Enjoy it.
Two former Werkself players celebrated their birthdays on Tuesday. Jorginho, who wore the number two for Bayer 04 from 1989 to 1992, was 57 years old. The Brazilian is currently working back home with the top-flight side Cuiabá EC as head coach.
Jan Heintze is now 58 years old. The former Werkself left-back (1996-99) talked about his time under the Bayer Cross a few days ago. On the occasion of his debut in Black and Red exactly 25 years ago, the Dane spoke about long car journeys with Erik Meijer and his job that has regularly brought him to the BayArena for several years. HERE is the link to the interview. Many happy returns to both of you.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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