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"The final pre-match training session is behind us and we are well prepared for tomorrow's game. We have nearly all the players on board with very good energy and mood," said Alonso at the pre-match press conference. The Spaniard is expecting an "intense game" on Friday night.
Alonso also shared his views on the new head coach Bo Henriksen, who is the third FSV coach this season following on from Bo Svensson and Jan Siewert: "They have a new coach, he brings new motivation. His teams always play with high energy, which you could see in Zürich (FC Zürich, ed) and also against Augsburg." Mainz secured a 1-0 victory against FC Augsburg last weekend and it was the first win in twelve games and only the second three pointer this season."
Nadiem Amiri, who joined FSV Mainz from Bayer 04 at the end of January, made his fourth start for his new club in Augsburg. Alonso on tomorrow's reunion: "I enjoyed the time with Nadiem. It was a difficult situation for him here recently but, nevertheless, he was always very important for us. He had a good attitude. In the end, he wanted the move and we obviously respected that."
Mainz are currently 17th in the table on 15 points. The Werkself are top with an eight-point lead over Bayern Munich. Alonso does not see a change mentality in his team given that advantage in points: "I don't see any change in the team's focus. To be honest, it’s been a really normal week." The Spaniard added: "I don't look at the table but I know what we are aiming for. First of all, we want to end February successfully with a victory against Mainz. Last year we lost at home. We don't want that to happen again."
Asked about the discussions on his future, Alonso said: "I've nothing new to say about the future. These questions are normal."
30,210 fans will be at the game on Friday night, including 2,000 from Mainz. For the game against FSV, Alonso will still have to manage without the injured Victor Boniface, Arthur and Exequiel Palacios. Alonso provided an update on the Argentinian: "Pala has trained well but we don't want to take any risks. The aim is for him to be available against Köln."
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
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The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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