The players and staff left the BayArena on time at nine in the morning. Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and striker Lucas Alario, who was recently injured, rejoined the team. Youngsters Joshua Eze, Christian Schwieren, Sadik Fofana, Noah Pesch, Ayman Aourir, goalkeeper Maximilian Neutgens and Zidan Sertdemir were also on board on the way to Austria. Julian Baumgartlinger, who was in action at the European Championships like Hradecky, is expected at the training camp at the beginning of next week.
The flight is due to land in Salzburg at 11.40 CEST and, after arrival at the hotel and a communal meal, the first training session at the Alois Latini Stadium in Zell am See is at 16.00 CEST. Sporting director Simon Rolfes' assessment of Salzburger Land, "outstanding conditions. We really feel at home there. Particularly as the training camp had to be cancelled last year we are looking forward to Zell am See and Kaprun even more. Everybody knows each other, the organisation on site has always been wonderful in the many years we've been there. The hotel, training ground and everything else will be perfect again."
After intensive workouts in numerous sessions over the week, the Werkself finish this year's training camp with the first pre-season friendly. Bayer 04 play SC Freiburg on the day of departure (23 July). The two Bundesliga teams meet at the Wattens Gernot Langes Stadium at 14.00 CEST. After the game, the team and support staff will fly back to Germany from Innsbruck.
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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