
This year's Bayer 04 ambassadors for the #Morethanfootball Action Weeks are Lukas Hradecky, Nina Brüggemann and Emrehan Gedikli plus Marvin Kruse who has brought the #Morethanfootball idea to life at the Werkself for many years: "It feels like I've been part of the Einfach Fußball team at Bayer 04 forever. During that time I've made a lot of new friends, been able to complete a course as a Young Coach in disabled football and even do a placement at the club. It is clear to me: Bayer 04 are #morethanfootball.”

Leverkusen's Einfach Fußball team have not been able to train at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual tournament could not take place either. But for Marvin and his teammates that is no reason to neglect their common hobby. There has been online training for several months – under the direction of Young Coach Marvin.

In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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