25 players from the first team plus four youth players boarded the team flight at Cologne/Bonn airport in the afternoon., After a 90-minute flight, the Bayer 04 squad landed in Salzburg and then travelled the remaining 55 kilometres to Saalfelden by coach.
Patrik Schick and Robert Andrich checked into their rooms at the Hotel Gut Brandlhof, the new training camp base for the Werkself after ten years in Zell am See/Kaprun. While Schick will continue his individual rehab programme following last month's groin operation, Andrich is set to start training with the team in the next few days.
After arriving in the team hotel, the final event of the day for the whole team was the evening meal on the hotel terrace with a view of the mountain range around the Steinernes Meer. That was followed by media activities for several players. Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky was interviewed by bayer04.de and he talked about the "outstanding facilities on site." Further statements from the Finland international keeper will be available in Monday on the club media channels.
Head coach Xabi Alonso will lead a training session for his team on Monday morning on the neighbouring training ground, a short walk from the hotel. The session begins at 10.30 CEST and is open to Bayer 04 fans. That will be followed in the afternoon by a session in the gym.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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