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.
The final whistle of the current 2025/26 season marks the end of a unique partnership for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. After more than three decades of collaboration and highly eventful times, the Bundesliga football club and the private brewery Bitburger are going their separate ways.
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Around four months after their bitter exit in the DFB Pokal Round of 16, the Bayer 04 Women are once again away to Hamburger SV. On Monday night (18:00 CEST), the Werkself will not only be looking to pick up important points in the final phase of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga at the Volksparkstadion, but also to make amends for their defeat on penalties.
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A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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