"The defeat against Schalke 04 was a bitter blow," said Herrlich who was still clearly disappointed two days after the game. That was not made more palatable by direct rivals from Dortmund (1-1 against Augsburg) Frankfurt (0-1 in Stuttgart) and Leipzig (1-2 against FC Köln) also slipping up with the top third of the table still very closely packed. "We'll have to see that we pick up points rather than look at what the others are doing. It's important for us to draw the right lessons from the Schalke match," said the Werkself head coach after the only session on Tuesday as he focuses attention on the forthcoming match away to Wolfsburg who are currently in the relegation battle in fifteenth place in the top flight: "I know what we need to work on. We'll do that and try to get the best possible outcome."
The fact the captain Lars Bender – as well as Jonathan Tah – were both able to complete the full work out in the first training session of the week strengthens Herrlich's optimism – particularly in terms of them playing at the weekend. "Schalke were sharper in one or two situations and more aggressive in challenges. So it will be even better if we can get that additional mentality in the team with Lars coming back into the side."
Reserve keeper Ramazan Özcan and Leon Bailey were missing on Tuesday and, as "a precautionary measure", the pair completed an individual session in the gym at the BayArena instead of taking part in the open training session. Herrlich is optimistic they will not be out of action for long: "I'm assuming we'll have everybody available the day after tomorrow at the latest."
Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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