
… the return to training: It was enormously important for me and all of us. You meet up with your teammates, can finally get back on the pitch –it’s just great fun. The whole thing feels like a second lot of pre-season training. You can see everybody’s excited and determined. Perhaps the break has done us good in terms of gaining strength and being up for the possible end of season run-in.
… his own fitness: I missed two games before the break in the season due to a shoulder injury. The break came at just the right time for me. I did some running and weight training. I can play again now. If we get going again in a couple of weeks then I’ll be fully fit.
… his training partner: Kerem Demirbay, Jonathan Tah and I formed a group at the start. We had loads of fun together. Now I’m training with Julian Baumgartlinger, Lars Bender and Karim Bellarabi. The excitement and levels are very high.
… the possibility of restarting the Bundesliga behind closed doors: I hope and believe we’ll be able to play again at the start of May. It will be a pity to start without fans but I can’t wait to get going again. We’re all full of desire and passion for the Bundesliga.
… a possible final spurt for the Werkself: It will be a major readjustment for us at first when we all train again and are able to play again. But we’re all experienced and we’ll soon get used to it. Our aim in the Bundesliga is to qualify for the Champions League. We’re working very hard at the moment – even though it is in small groups
… precautions at Bayer 04: We keep our distance, sanitise again and again, and regularly wash our hands.
… his daily routine: After training, I’ve done a bit of gaming and, above all, enjoyed time with my family.

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 working 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 personal 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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Fans at the BayArena got to enjoy a spectacle on Wednesday as the Werkself came from behind to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the DFB Pokal. Now with the sixth home game of the season, can Bayer 04 maintain their perfect record in Leverkusen as VfB Stuttgart come to town in the Bundesliga on Saturday (15:30 CET)? The visitors have had issues domestically this term, sitting in 15th place, although they have had much better results in the UEFA Champions League. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the Matchday 8 encounter…
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Three days after the spectacular comeback in the DFB Pokal tie against FC Nürnberg (5–2), the Werkself face their next challenge in the Bundesliga. On Saturday, 31 October (kick-off: 15:30 CET), Bayer 04 host VfB Stuttgart, currently 15th in the table, at the BayArena. Ahead of the match, Carles Martínez spoke, amongst other things, about important factors in preparing for this next game given a tight fixture list.
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Despite VfB Stuttgart performing well in the Champions League, they are facing a difficult spell early on in the Bundesliga. Three days after their last-minute victory in the DFB Pokal at SC Paderborn 07, the Swabians can now take to the pitch at the BayArena with greater confidence on Saturday, 31 October (kick-off: 15:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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