
Day two of the eighth summer training camp in Zell am See started with an intensive session for the Werkself on the pitch next to the Alois Latini Stadium. At a height of 757 metres located between Schmittenhöhe and Erlberg, Jonathan Tah and Co. completed numerous running drills under the guidance of fitness coach Daniel Jouvin and Dr. Malte Krüger, the head sports scientist. The first session of the day in Zell am See ended with a practice match on the main pitch.







While the teammates made their way towards the team bus, Mitchell Weiser and Lucas Alario had a duel on the basketball court. A shoot-out from distance: NBA fan Weiser put Alario, who comes from the basketball nation of Argentina, in his place thanks to his accurate shooting.
While Karim Bellarabi and Demarai Gray trained individually due to muscle problems suffered the day before, Alario and Zidan Sertdemir were involved in the majority of the morning session. After the training session, head coach Gerardo Seoane shared his assessment of the 16-year-old Sertdemir. The Swiss on the new signing from the Danish top-flight club FC Midtjylland: "Zidan is highly talented and has very good attributes - vision and ball control. He will always train with us but not at every session. He's just still very young. Therefore, it's important to build him up step-by-step and take him up to the next level."

The general conditions on site are already at a very good level. "The hotel is very big and we have everything here that we need," said the new Werkself head coach. "And the pitches are in good condition in spite of the bad weather. We're looking forward to the rest of the week."
The Werkself started the second session by Lake Zeller in the afternoon. Alario and Sertdemir sat out training and remained in the Hotel Tauern Spa while their teammates focused on working with the ball. In a tight corridor, passing and attacking moves were practised with and without pressure from opponents. There was a match at the end. While Kerem Demirbay and Co. made their way back to the hotel on the team bus, sporting director Simon Rolfes opted to run. The 39-year-old managed the seven kilometres without any problems – however, he was soaked to the skin due to the rain.
Midfielder Nadiem Amiri did not travel to Austria. The 24-year-old is preparing with the Germany team in Japan for the Olympic Games football tournament. However, a friendly between the team coached by Stefan Kuntz and Honduras on Saturday morning was ended early. Just before the end of the game, the entire Germany team left the pitch with the score at 1-1. Kuntz explained afterwards that central defender Jordan Torunarigha (Hertha Berlin) had been "racially abused." According to Kuntz, the team from the Central American country apologised after the final whistle and the issue "is over for us," but Bayer 04 would again like to emphasise at this point: We believe in diversity and condemn all forms of racism.

Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
Show more
A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
Show more
Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
Show more
Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
Show more