…the player Santiago Arias: I will do my best here every day. I've already been able to gain a lot of experience in my career so far. I want to bring that to the team and make my contribution to achieving the club's targets.
…the South American teammates at the Werkself: Of course, they are a help to me; being with them is like being in a small South American family. But I quickly found my feet in the Netherlands in my time at PSV Eindhoven (2013 to 2018, ed.). I don't think I'll need a lot of time to settle in.
…the approach of his former club Atlético Madrid in comparison Bayer 04: The biggest difference is definitely the amount of possession. The main thing under Diego Simeone in Madrid was keeping a clean sheet. Here we want to be attacking and get on the front foot – I like that.
…a possible appearance at the weekend in the clash with VfB Stuttgart: I feel I'm an established part of the squad now. I'm fit and I'm just waiting for the coach's decision.


A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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