Ahead of the toughest session of the week, most of the pros were in the players lounge at 07.15 CET. Lars Bender and Co. usually arrive for breakfast at the BayArena around 08.45 CET but getting up early was on the agenda today. The reason: Due to temperatures above 30 degrees, the coaching staff decided to bring forward the session to nine in the morning.
The Werkself players still put in a shift and were sweating and not just because of the temperatures. Peter Bosz constantly drove his players on and they had to finish the session with a tournament on small pitches. Again and again tackles, shots and intensive sprints. Even the goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was exhausted after the final whistle was blown by the head coach. "I can hardly speak," said the 29-year-old who did manage to find his voice again when he spoke to the representatives of the media where he covered the areas where the Werkself need to keep working in spite of three successive wins for starters: "I want to have another clean sheet at long last. I don't like conceding goals at all."
One player who often was successful in achieving that missed the session on Tuesday. Jonathan Tah reported sick on Monday. The Werkself number four was better today but only able to complete an individual session on the ergometer in the Werkstatt. However, the medical department are confident that the Germany international will be able to rejoin his team-mates at the closed training session on Thursday.
Lucas Alario, who was present today, received very good news yesterday. After a break of two years, the Argentinian has been called up for his national side again (three caps, one goal). Alongside stars like Paulo Dybala and Nicolas Otamendi, the 26-year-old will be in the squad for the forthcoming friendlies in the USA against Chile (6 September) and Mexico (10 September). "Being called up again came as a bit of a surprise. Nevertheless, I'm obviously proud to have the chance to play for my country," said Alario as he thanked the national coach Lionel Scaloni, "for giving me this chance. It's great motivation for me to continue working hard on my game. I will enjoy the moment and definitely use the chance I now have."
The call-up also pleases head coach Peter Bosz: "I've got to know him as a lad who always does his job and has never complained to me: 'Coach, why aren't I playing?' Or: 'I've scored three goals. Why can't I play from the start again?' A lot of players do that. And that's okay. But he works and battles."
Before Saturday's Bundesliga fixture, all eyes at Leverkusen will be on Monaco on Thursday evening. The group stage for the UEFA Champions League will be drawn from 18.00 CET. While a delegation led by Fernando Carro, the chairman of the board, will be at the event in the Grimaldi Forum, Lukas Hradecky will be watching it on television. "I've waited 30 years for it," joked the 29-year-old who is set to play in Europe's premier club competition for the first time. "To hear the anthem at last, and play against the best clubs in Europe: That's always been on my bucket list." And the Finland keeper also has a wish regarding his first away tie. "Even when I was a small child I dreamed of playing at the Camp Nou." The home of Barcelona – Bayer 04 have played the Spanish side eight times in the Champions League. There is certainly room for improvement there with just one win and one draw so far.
After being nominated for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025, Martin Terrier's wonderful strike for the opener against FC Köln is now also up for selection for the ARD Sportschau Goal of the Month award for December 2025. Bayer 04 fans have until 19:00 CET on 10 January to vote for the French forward.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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"In every ending lies a new beginning" is a well-known saying. This phrase has probably never been more apt at Bayer 04. After winning the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and finishing as runners-up in 2024/25, the summer was the most eventful ever in terms of transfers. Over ten players and the coach, including the coaching staff, left the club. A lot of the heroes of the double-winning side began a new chapter. It was the end of an era. And at the same time the beginning of a new, very exciting and promising chapter for Leverkusen. The Werkself welcomed more than a dozen new arrivals, including experienced title-winners and young talents, to build a new "foundation for a successful team capable of winning titles" under the Bayer Cross, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. A new spirit, a new hunger, a new story was to be created. Bayer04.de looks back at the first few months of this story and the final act of the preseason.
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43 points at the end of the last Bundesliga season were not only more than ever before for the Bayer 04 Women, but also led to a record fourth-place finish. That was followed by a Hinrunde with many more victories, but also some setbacks. In an interview with bayer04.de, sporting director Achim Feifel takes stock at the end of the year.
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With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
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