
Gerardo Seoane on…
… the return of Robert Andrich: He was able to do 70 to 80 per cent of the training session today so we limited the intensity to a certain extent. Now we'll have to see how his body reacts. If all goes well this week he will be available again at the weekend.
…. possible reasons for the defeat against FC Augsburg: In the most general sense it's about making the right decisions. That's the overarching concept for many levels in a game such as build-up play, finishing or making challenges. I think we've already tried to change our game but in many situations not made the right choice. If you don't have that momentum on your side and also are not decisive or patient enough then small mistakes are punished by a clever opponent. A normal performance isn't enough and now we have to go out and earn our success.
… the post-match assessment after the weekend: The team has behaved as I imagined: They had a day off to process the defeat and really shake off their disappointment. That's important. We are always very critical with ourselves including after wins. That's the way we have thought since we arrived here. But then the focus is entirely forward looking and we try to have a lot of constructive discussions with the players to work through different perspectives of how they perceive the situation individually, what was in their minds and why they made a decision at certain moments so that we can find the appropriate approach and then set targets in training.
… the significance of mentality: We have experienced but also young players who are in a different situation from last season. You expect more of them but then perhaps the performances and results aren't right – all of that does something to a player. As an example: There's a huge difference between standing on the ground on one leg or 80 metres up on the top of a block of flats. Everybody deals differently with pressure and has different tools and that all demands a mental process. And everybody is allowed to make mistakes or have an off day. That's also to do with confidence in our players. Experience on its own is no guarantee of avoiding mistakes. The biggest challenge in sport is – regardless of how experienced you are – to achieve momentum both physically and mentally.
… the targets in this week's training sessions: We were incredibly disappointed after the match, without a doubt. But it doesn't help us to lose our nerve. There is no reason to panic but we have to get out of this situation as soon as possible. We did that several times last year and we’ll do it again by getting things right, drawing conclusions and turning our negative thoughts into energy and desire. That's the challenge we want to take on and overcome.

Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month.
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Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
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The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
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Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
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The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
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