
Following on from Patrik Schick and Charles Aránguiz, Exequiel Palacios is the third international player back in Leverkusen at the start of the second week of the preseason. The midfielder completed large parts of full training in the first session of the new season. Head coach Gerardo Seoane focused on a range of moves in restricted space.
After the joint warm-up routine, Schick worked one-to-one on his finishing with fitness coaches Schahriar Bigdeli and Daniel Jouvin.

This week, Robert Andrich and Co. will be on training pitch one daily from 10.30 CEST by the BayArena. All sessions are open to Black and Red fans. The Seoane team also have a second session in the stadium on Tuesday 5 July and Thursday 7 July.
Please note: Changes may be made at short notice, Bayer 04 will inform fans via the club media.
The Werkself play the first preseason friendly on Saturday 9 July. The match against third division MSV Duisburg is in Velbert at 15.30 CEST. The ticket office at the IMS Arena is open two hours before kick-off at 13.30 CEST.
The 4 x 100 metre relay team of German para-athletes set a new record on Friday 1 July at the home meeting for TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the Fritz Jacobi facility: First leg runner Phil Grolla, Johannes Floors, Markus Rehm and final leg runner Felix Streng completed the run in an incredible 40.52 seconds and are now the new world record holders.
The previous record time of 40.73 seconds was set by the USA at the 2013 World Cup in Lyon. "Of course, we hoped we could do that time. But it's simply fantastic that it really happened in the end," raved Rehm following the race.
A number of TSV athletes also produced personal bests at the home meeting. Congratulations and great respect for all the performances.

The Black and Reds kick off the new Bundesliga campaign today, Saturday 29 August (kick-off 15:30 CEST), away to newly promoted SV 07 Elversberg – and the Werkself will come up against a familiar face who is currently causing a stir at ‘Elv’. For an affordable and easy journey to the Saarland, the 1,600 travelling fans can still use the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Today’s matchday news..
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The European jersey has been launched, the UEL opponents have been drawn – and anticipation for the European campaign is running high. To mark the occasion, an autograph session was held on Friday afternoon, 28 August, at the Fanwelt with current Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and official club legend Paulo Sergio.
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The Bundesliga is back. On Saturday 29 August (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Werkself are away to SV 07 Elversberg on matchday 1 of the new season. Ahead of the clash at the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, head coach Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about the importance of a successful start and the motivation of the league newcomers from the Saarland.
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On Friday afternoon, it will be decided which eight of the 36 participating teams Bayer 04 will face in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2026/27. At the draw in Monaco (live on UEFA.com), the Werkself will be drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, allocated according to the UEFA club coefficient. A match against an opponent from the same country is ruled out, as is facing more than two clubs from the same national association. Here’s a look at the pots and potential opponents.
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After six and a half years, Exequiel Palacios is leaving the Bundesliga and moving from Bayer 04 to the Premier League. The Argentine, who as a Werkself player won the World Cup with his national team four years ago and finished as runners-up at this summer’s tournament, will play for newly promoted English side Ipswich Town with immediate effect. The 27-year-old, whose contract in Leverkusen was due to run until 30 June 2030, joined Bayer 04 in January 2020 as a promising young talent. He steadily developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the German top flight.
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