Before the first training session at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, head coach Achim Feifel gathered his players together for an in-depth meeting before stepping onto the pitch at 18.30 CEST. The group included goalkeeper Friederike Abt, Julia Pollak, Caroline Siems, Dina Blagojevic, Clara Fröhlich, Irina Pando and Amira Arfaoui. They all signed for Bayer 04 in the summer.
Lisanne Gräwe, ,who joined Bayer 04 from DFB Cup winners VfL Wolfsburg, missed the opening session. The 18-year-old is currently doing her basic training with the Bundeswehr and will join pre-season training in the next few weeks. Also missing were Nina Brüggemann, Jessica Wich, Melissa Friedrich and Ann-Kathrin Vinken. They are all currently in rehab and were only able to watch their teammates on Wednesday evening.
The programme on day one of the five-week pre-season consisted of drills with the ball primarily in enclosed space and finished with shots. The Women's team will undergo obligatory performance tests at the BayArena on Thursday and Friday. The next session on the training ground is planned for Sunday morning.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
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It is an expression of solidarity and a tribute to the unique fan culture Under the Cross: Bayer 04 Leverkusen make a special statement with the "50 Years of Fan Clubs" jersey. To mark the founding of the "First Fan Club 1976 Leverkusen", which was followed by many more over the years right up to the present day, the Bundesliga club is commemorating 50 years of passion with this new jersey. Highs and lows, successes celebrated together as well as defeats suffered are manifested in this piece of white fabric, a symbol of unwavering identification with the Werkself.
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There’s lots going on at the BayArena today. The home game against FSV Mainz 05 is all about the numerous Bayer 04 fan clubs, whose birth - the founding of the "1. Fanclub 1976 Leverkusen" - dates back 50 years. A number of fan club representatives will be involved in awards, a banner display and a half-time matchday chat, and the Werkself are set to play in a special white fan club jersey. During half-time, Leverkusen mayor Stefan Hebbel and javelin world champion Steffi Nerius will also talk about the Olympic bid involving Leverkusen. Black and Red fans are advised to get to the stadium in good time today. Matchday news.
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The Werkself host Premier League club Arsenal in the Round of 16 first leg in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. The match at the BayArena is on 10/11 March. Read on for information on ticket sales for this fixture.
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