+++7 September, 23.15 CEST+++
The match at the Jan Breydel Stadium ends with a 1-0 defeat for the Werkself against Club Brugge (HERE is the match report). Reaction to the opening game in the Champions League will be shown on Werkself TV. We wish everybody who travelled with us to Bruges a safe journey home.
+++7 September, 18.02 CEST+++
The Youth League opener is over. Our U19 team got off to a flying start against Club Brugge with Zidan Sertdemir netting the first goal. The team under head coach Sven Hübscher then conceded four goals with the first fixture of the European campaign in 2022/23 ending in a 4-1 defeat. 890 spectators watched the game in Roeselare, including Fernando Carro, Simon Rolfes and Rudi Völler. The Black and Red U19 players now head home to Leverkusen on the team bus. Have a safe journey, lads.
+++7 September, 15.51 CEST+++
As a taster ahead of this evening's Champions League game, Werkself TV is broadcasting the match between our U19 team and Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League. The kick-off is at 16.00 CEST and the live stream is HERE.
+++7 September, 10.10 CEST+++
The Werkself are about to set off on the team bus for the warm-up session at the Jan Breydel Stadium. A suitable point in time to provide some information on today's venue: The stadium was opened in 1975 and has a capacity of 29,000. The ground is named after Jan Breydel one of the leaders of the Bruges matins – a bloody rebellion against the French King Philip IV at the start of the 14th century.
+++7 September, 8.27 CEST+++
Good morning from Bruges. The first players are at breakfast and we take a quick look at today's agenda: There is a warm-up session at 11 o'clock, followed by lunch, the team meeting plus the pre-match meal. The kick-off at the Jan Breydel Stadium is at 21.00 CEST..
+++6 September, 18.57 CEST+++
Our lads have inspected the pitch at the Jan Breydel Stadium and now they are off to the team hotel in the best of moods and with great anticipation ahead of tomorrow's match with the evening meal the last agenda item on the day of arrival. Lukas Hradecky and Co. will than have time to chill out.
+++6 September, 17.11 CEST+++
The arrival of the Werkself is gradually drawing to a close. In around 30 minutes, the destination of the Jan Breydel Stadium will have been reached. The pre-match press conference with head coach Gerardo Seoane and Robert Andrich will start in about an hour. The statements from the duo will appear later on our channels.
+++6 September, 15.50 CEST+++
The following 21 Werkself players are on the team bus: Lukas Hradecky, Niklas Lomb, Maximilian Neutgens (all goalkeepers), Piero Hincapie, Jonathan Tah, Mitchel Bakker, Odilon Kossounou, Paulinho, Robert Andrich, Sardar Azmoun, Kerem Demirbay, Nadiem Amiri, Edmond Tapsoba, Patrik Schick, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Moussa Diaby, Charles Aránguiz, Adam Hlozek, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Exequiel Palacios and Jeremie Frimpong.
+++6 September, 13.37 CEST+++
Training and lunch are over and the Bayer 04 group set off a few minutes ago. Lukas Hradecky and Co. face a three and a half hour journey on the team bus with the first stop at the Jan Breydel Stadium of Club Brugge. Have a good trip, everybody.
+++6 September, 11.02 CEST+++
The final pre-match training session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium is underway. Three goalkeepers and 19 outfield players are taking part – of course, with the new UEFA Champions League balls at their feet...
+++ 6 September, 10.17 CEST+++
The Werkself meet up for the final session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 11.00 CEST ahead of the away game in the Champions League. The Black and Red group will then head off by coach to West Flanders. On the agenda in the evening is a view of the pitch and the press conference at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
+++6 September, 09.34 CEST+++
The Werkself are back in the UEFA Champions League: After a break of two years, the Werkself are away to Club Brugge tomorrow night in the first group match. The kick-off at the Jan Breydel Stadium is at 21.00 CEST.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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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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