"Mum and child are doing well. We're all very happy," Seoane proudly declared at the start of the press conference before adding: "I actually always try to separate my professional from my private life but when you become a father you can't compare or describe those feelings with anything in football." The Swiss manager then moved on to tomorrow's encounter with FC Augsburg on matchday two: "We want to produce a good performance tomorrow and we finally want to get a result," said Seoane in setting out a clear target for the first game on home turf. According to Seoane that primarily requires "high energy and aggression."
The Werkself have one statistic in their favour: Leverkusen have been undefeated in the last 22 matches against Augsburg. Seoane did warn however: "I'm not interested in the results from the past. Augsburg have a new coach and a different approach to the game this year." The 4-0 defeat against Freiburg last weekend does not reflect the performance levels of FCA. "Therefore, I'm expecting an exciting Bundesliga match where we will have to look to our own performance and show our quality," said Seoane. In addition, the coach praised his team in training this week: "We have worked with focus and concentration."
Seoane is still unable to call on Florian Wirtz. The Werkself number 27 is currently on holiday in Ibiza but is working hard on his comeback out there. The 43-year-old manager is also unable to select Robert Andrich. The midfielder is making good progress, "but is unavailable to play tomorrow as the risk is too high," said Seoane.
There is also good news about Amine Adli: The Werkself number 21 has completed numerous individual sessions in recent weeks and also started full training again, and the striker will be back in the squad for the first time against FCA: "Amine has recovered well and has had the green light from the medical department and is able to play again. He's an important player and we believe he can have his first minutes on the pitch again but we obviously have to be careful."
Following the suspension of the captain Lukas Hradecky, Gerardo Seoane has chosen to put Andrey Lunev in goal. "It's not always easy to accept the role as the second or third goalkeeper but I have to pay a big compliment to all the keepers. They are professional in their day-to-day work." The Swiss coach describes Andrey Lunev as a very experienced keeper: "He is very calm and I think he enjoys the fact he will be playing in such an important match tomorrow. We have full confidence in his quality and ability."
For the opening match at the BayArena, the Werkself can concurrently look forward to the backing of 23,000 Black and Reds supporters in the stands. Fan clubs are calling for a fan march at 10.00 CEST from the Market Square in Wiesdorf. 300 Augsburg fans are expected to make the trip to Leverkusen.
Gerardo Seoane is also looking forward to the first match at home in the new season: "We have very sensitive fans. Last season they showed they have a very good sense of when the team needs support," said Seoane before adding: "Of course, positive and negative feedback is all part of it but we always feel we have great support from our fans and look forward to seeing a lot of people at the game tomorrow."
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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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. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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