In spite of the icy cold, it was clear to see that the young and more experienced players were having fun in the warm-up routine for the four junior teams. Following the obligatory group photo, the U11 squad completed a rondo with Jonathan Tah and Ayman Azhil while the U10 players started with a practice match in restricted space under the guidance of Xabi Alonso's assistant coach Alberto Encinas working in tandem with Zidan Sertdemir.
Werkself skipper Lukas Hradecky, Joshua Eze and goalkeeping coach David Thiel ran the session with the U9 age group while central defender Edmond Tapsoba together with Alonso's assistant coach Sebastian Parrilla worked with the youngest junior players in the U8 squad.
For the Bayer 04 number one Lukas Hradecky, the goal he was protecting on the night was of different dimensions and significantly smaller than usual: The 6 foot 3 Finn wore a green bib in goal for the U9s, the second youngest Werkself team.
Hradecky again and again encouraged the young players during the practice match, giving them tips and advice – and he was full of praise for saves made by his opposite number.
Following the training session watched by numerous parents, the youngsters and senior players finished the evening with pizzas in the dressing rooms at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre. The U8 to U11 players also had the opportunity to put questions to Hradecky, Tah and Co as well as capturing the moment with photos and autographs.
Another group of players from the Werkself squad trained with the U12 to U15 teams last week. Here is the report on the first part of the Werkself visits to Kurtekotten.
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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