It was clear to the Cloverleaves from the start that staying up would be a Herculean task. "Promotion was a sensational achievement. If we can stay up that would be equally sensational," declared Fürth sporting managing director Rachid Azzouzi in the summer. The hopes of the 50-year-old, that the Green and Whites could surprise the Bundesliga this term, have not been fulfilled so far. Fürth have only picked up one point from the first 13 games – against Arminia Bielefeld in a 1-1 draw on matchday two – and they are currently bottom of the Bundesliga. The team under head coach Stefan Leitl have lost all of their last 11 games. They suffered a 6-3 defeat last time out at home to TSG Hoffenheim. However, the captain Branimir Hrgota remains combative: "I was never somebody to give up – and I won't do it now. And my team won't give up either but we have to do more than we are at the moment."
In terms of personnel, Leitl will have to manage without striker Jessic Ngankam (torn cruciate) and Havard Nielsen will probably be sidelined as he was unable to train with the team this week due to a bout of flu. However, there is more positive news from a Fürth perspective: Justin Hoogma (knee), Nick Viergever (ankle) and Gideon Jung (meniscus) could make their comebacks soon. All three defenders trained on Wednesday "in isolated technical sessions" as coach Leitl said ahead of the clash with the Werkself: "It looked very good and we will gradually increase the workload." It remains to be seen if they will be able to play against Leverkusen. It does look different with Paul Seguin. The midfield dynamo, recently out of action due to a cold, will probably be able to return to the starting line-up.
Talking about starting line-ups: Above all, the two young talented players Timothy Tillman (22) and Jamie Leweling (20) have impressed recently. The duo made their mark in the attack against TSG and were both rewarded with a goal. Leweling also provided the assist for strike from Hrgota that made it 5-3. "I'm happy about the goal; but I would have preferred to have picked up points for the team," said Tillman who made his third start in the current Bundesliga campaign against Hoffenheim and his goal will put him in the running for further appearances.
SpVgg Greuther Fürth have one of the best strikers from the second division last season in Hrgota. The Swede scored 16 goals for the Cloverleaves last term and also provided eight assists. And he is also the top scorer and provider in the Bundesliga for the Green and Whites: The skipper has scored four goals and provided three assists in 13 games. Hrgota’s playing career includes 117 Bundesliga and 63 second division appearances. During the Europa League season of 2014/15, the 28-year-old scored eight goals in ten games for Borussia Mönchengladbach and he also provided two assists. He was directly involved in all three goals for Fürth against Hoffenheim, which should definitely give him an extra boost in confidence.
The Hoffenheim game again highlights the big problem for Fürth: The defence has yet to live up to Bundesliga standards. "When the defence plays like that then it is not enough," said a disappointed coach Leitl and he added: "If you make so many individual mistakes then you have to live with letting in six goals." Fürth have conceded a total of 39 goals in 13 games. That means the Cloverleaves have by far the most leaky defence in the Bundesliga. One reason for that could be the aforementioned absence of the two regular central defenders Hoogma and Viergever – midfielder Hans Nunoo Sarpei has recently often helped out in that position. Leitl is also hoping, "that our injured players come back soon to give our defence more solidity."
Eighteenth place, one point, 12 points adrift from safety – the situation for the Cloverleaves in the battle against relegation has consistently worsened since the start of the season. They scented results against Hertha Berlin (1-2), Bochum (0-1) and Eintracht Frankfurt (1-2) but the Green and Whites ended up empty-handed. The loss of Hoogma and Viergever still carries great weight even though staying up will remain a Herculean task for the newcomers from Franconia with them in the side.
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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