…his past few weeks and months: We had a three-week break after the end of the Bundesliga season before we started preparing for the Champions League finals tournament. Then I had a couple of days off before starting to train again.
…the time Schick had to spend in quarantine: One of my Czech Republic teammates had a positive test for coronavirus. Several people from the team then had to go into quarantine – that included me. After the coronavirus tests proved negative for me, I was allowed to leave Prague and fly to Germany.
…first impressions in Leverkusen: I signed the contract after the medical – and today was the first training session. I'm very happy to be here. I've got to know my teammates and everybody's been really nice. The first training session went perfectly – the pitches are in good condition and the recovery options are outstanding. Everything you need to produce good performances is here.
…his decision to sign for Bayer 04: I had positive experiences at Leipzig. That's why I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen have the same quality as Leipzig. The club are very ambitious and have an attractive, attacking style of play. I like that.
...the influence of his Czech Republic fellow countryman Michal Kadlec, who played for the Werkself from 2008 to 2013: I talked to him about Leverkusen in the run-up to the move. He said very positive things about the club and he helped me make the decision to come here.
…his current fitness level: Due to the time in quarantine, today's training was the first for me in around ten days. I think the cup game against Norderstedt (13 September, ed.) has come too soon for me. I have to start slowly and rediscover my form. I think I'll be ready for the first Bundesliga game at Wolfsburg.
…his targets with the Werkself: I want to play in the Champions League with Leverkusen. I'll fight as much as I can to achieve that target and I'd like to score as many goals as possible along the way.
It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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“They stuck with us over the past few weeks when things weren’t going so well,” said captain Edmond Tapsoba, thanking the fans for their support after the 2–1 win in Cologne and dedicating the derby victory to them. Throughout the 90 minutes, the Werkself had looked unfazed and in command, inflicting the first home defeat of the season on FC Köln. It was the sixth consecutive win against the Cologne team for Bayer 04 – head coach Carles Martínez, on the other hand, was facing the team from the neighbouring city for the first time and “now really knows what this derby win means”. The Werkself derby review.
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Following the 2–1 derby victory away at FC Köln on Bundesliga matchday 9, Edmond Tapsoba, Malik Tillman and Aleix Garcia spoke to Werkself TV...
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 2-1 derby win at 1. FC Köln Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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There were celebrations among those in black and red at the RheinEnergieSTADION. On Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, the Werkself beat 1. FC Köln 2-0 and registered their sixth successive win in the derby. Aleix Garcia put Bayer 04 in front after just seven minutes with a direct free kick. Leverkusen played with discipline and energy after that and didn't allow some fierce challenges to unsettle them. Patrik Schick made it 2-0 in the 86th minute, and Said El Mala's goal in stoppage time for Köln proved nothing more than consolation. Jonas Hofmann crowned the derby win with his 100th appearance for the club.
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