Hygiene rules, social distancing, recommended behaviour – Dr. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar, medical director and also pandemics officer at Bayer 04, and his team have taken measures to prevent the Werkself contracting coronavirus. Training is held in groups at different times and in different locations at the training ground – the sessions are being held both at the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium as well as on the speed court, in the Werkstatt and on the training pitches. That makes it possible to maintain social distancing.
Before the start of all the training sessions, everybody has to have their temperatures taken. Five devices were sourced for the BayArena and the Bayer 04 to check the temperatures of every player, coach and member of staff. Leon Bailey shows how it’s done: Just stand in front of the camera; within seconds the temperature is read from the forehead. The device sounds a warning with a raised temperature . Training can start if there’s a green light. After the first hurdle, there are hand sanitisers located at various points across the Bay Arena.
Instead of the usual route to the dressing rooms, Kerem Demirbay and Co. now use the Mixed Zone. The distribution of kit has been moved there temporarily. The area is more spacious than the dressing rooms and that avoids any problems with collecting or returning training kit and boots.
The Werkself players get changed in different areas. In addition to the home dressing room, the away changing room and facilities for youth teams and conference rooms are also used. That guarantees the maintenance of social distancing from each other before and after the sessions. Showers after training sessions are not permitted at the BayArena at the moment.
Communal meals in the morning and at lunchtime are also off the agenda. It’s not sociable but nobody is left hungry – there is breakfast and lunch but individually packed to take away. Drinks are provided as is fruit and the dish of the day. The players can serve themselves in turn.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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Bayer 04 put in a brilliant performance to beat RB Leipzig 4-1 on Bundesliga matchday 32 and are now fourth in a Champions League spot. The Black and Reds took control of the game right from the start and, with 75 per cent possession at one stage, took a 2-0 lead into the break through Patrik Schick (25’) and Nathan Tella (45+1’). The visitors initially tried to do more after the break, but the Werkself remained determined and Schick scored his second goal to increase the lead to 3-0 (76'). The Red Bulls pulled a goal back through Christoph Baumgartner (80'), but the disciplined Leverkusen side were not rattled - and certainly not Schick: The Czechia international crowned a brilliant display with his third goal shortly before the final whistle to make the final score 4-1.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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