
Kyriakos, you return to your old stomping ground the BayArena on Sunday. How does it feel?
Kyriakos Papadopoulos: I always enjoyed a really good relationship with Bayer 04. It's great there were no problems between Leverkusen and myself when I signed for HSV. I have happy memories of my time at Bayer 04.
Are you still in contact with Bayer 04?
Papadopoulos: I had two great years at Leverkusen and I'm looking forward to meeting up with my old team-mates. The people in and around the club all do a great job. I also have regular contact with a lot of my former team-mates.
What was your best moment in a Werkself shirt?
Papadopoulos: I particularly remember the games in the Champions League. Above all, I'll never forget the match in Barcelona. We were unlucky to lose 2-1 but we took the lead with a header of mind. The atmosphere at the Camp Nou was very special.
The Werkself have recently signed a fellow countrymen of yours in Panos Retsos. He said he spoke to you about Bayer 04. Why is Bayer 04 a good club for him?
Papadopoulos: Panos is a young, very talented player who wants to take the next step in his development. I told him the Bundesliga is the ideal place for that. Bayer 04 have shown over the last few years that they can develop young players and give them the necessary match practice.
What's your assessment of the start of the season for Hamburg SV?
Papadopoulos: We started the season well with two wins but then didn't play well against Hannover. But the team’s in good shape. We put on a good display in the games against Leipzig and Dortmund in spite of the defeats. We're in positive mood going forward.
What sort of game are you expecting at the BayArena on Sunday?
Papadopoulos: There were a lot of changes at Bayer 04 in the summer and the team hasn't got off to the best start in the new season so they will definitely be looking to win at home. We also want to get a result in Leverkusen. We can do that if we play like we did in the last games against Augsburg, Köln, Leipzig and Dortmund.

The clubs in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga have opened a new chapter in the history of women's football in Germany. With the official founding act of the "Frauen-Bundesliga FBL e.V." on Wednesday afternoon in Frankfurt am Main, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the 13 other top-flight clubs have joined forces for the first time.
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The Bayer 04 U19s today, Wednesday 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET), host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League. For coach Kevin Brok's team, the game against the English side is about securing a place in the next stage of the competition and a historic first appearance in the knockout phase. Werkself TV will broadcast the match live and free of charge from the Ulrich Haberland Stadium from 13:50 CET...
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Will Bayer 04 emulate their away wins at Benfica and Manchester City? Newcastle United are the visitors at a sold-out BayArena on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET/live on Werkself Radio) to round off the UEFA Champions League games for the year. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke in advance about the momentum in Europe's premier club competition and gave an encouraging personnel update. Jarell Quansah also spoke about his experiences playing against Nick Woltemade and his wish for the Bayer 04 fans.
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Newcastle United have amassed nine points after five matchdays, one more in the UEFA Champions League than the Werkself. The Magpies are also steadily improving in the Premier League, where they're currently unbeaten in four games. On Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Eddie Howe's side will be the visitors at the BayArena. He's also likely to field two Germany internationals in the game. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
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