It was welcome back to #InternationalWerkself in Leverkusen as nine Bayer 04 first-team players returned to action in the morning after yesterday’s performance diagnostics and numerous medical checks. Seoane mostly had his team playing in various types of matches, although Robert Andrich & Co. also showed their ability in a heading course and some football tennis. Once the sporting side of things was done, the several fans who’d made the trip got the chance for autographs and photos from new signing Hlozek.
Goalkeeper Hradecky was out on the pitch the longest. The Werkself No.1 followed the team session with an individual programme together with goalkeeping coach David Thiel. There was then a second strength session inside the BayArena in the afternoon.
Friday’s session is again open for fans and starts at 10:30 CEST on the pitches at the BayArena. Seoane’s side then face their first friendly of pre-season on Saturday, 9 July when they take on third-division side Duisburg in Velbert at 15:30. Tickets are still available on the day at the ground from two hours before kick-off.
Joyeux anniversaire, Moussa Diaby! The Werkself forward turned 23 today. The France international has been at Leverkusen since 2019/20. Last season he made 42 appearances across all competitions, netting an impressive 17 goals and providing an excellent 14 assists.
Werkself Women’s goalkeeper Friederike Repohl was also celebrating today as she turned 28. The No.27 joined from Wolfsburg in 2021. Happy birthday and all the best for the coming season!
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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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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Opening opponents, derby weekends, the opponents in the season finale: This information and more will be available to Bayer 04 fans on Thursday, 2 July, when the 2026/27 Bundesliga fixture list is published.
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