
And they also appear to be getting on really well off the pitch. In a photo shoot for the new Bayer 04 catalogue the strike duo posed for a number of photos and enjoyed every minute of it. At the end they went on their mobile phones to send a message to Werkself fans across the world from the training camp in Zell am See-Kaprun.
>> Click here for the new official merchandise
Goals galore in practice match
Volland and Chicharito looked sharp on the training ground before the photo shoot. A practice match with two 30-minute halves at the Alois Latini Stadium they played up front in the team in red training tops and managed to score a goal or two. The friendly match against Regional League side SC Teutonia on Saturday night was abandoned on twelve minutes due to a thunderstorm.
>> The practice match was shown live on Facebook and is available on demand <<
All clear for Wendell
There was a scare at the end of the first training session on Sunday. Brazilian defender Wendell fell awkwardly and had to limp off the pitch. That was a reminder of his serious injury at the end of April but he was given the all clear in the afternoon. He took it easy in the second session working on his own but he should return to full training today – the same applies to Julian Baumgartlinger who has yet to train with the Werkself in his own country due to a groin injury.
Leno meets Özcan
His fellow countryman Ramazan Özcan also missed out for a few days with a slight groin problem but ‘Rambo’ was almost fully fit again on Sunday so he was able to train with new team-mate Bernd Leno for the first time. Leno returned from holiday at the weekend after the European Championships.
Black and red cable car
The club colours of black and red are a common sight around the team hotel in Kaprun and the training ground in Zell am See. A valley station on the Areitbahn saw Stefan Kießling board a black and red car with a Bayer 04 logo last year as one of the first to make the journey up the mountain.
#B04inAustria - “What does Wuchtel mean?”
Anybody looking to improve their knowledge of Austrian German can follow a beginners language course with Julian Baumgartlinger and Rambo Özcan. Every day, the two new signings introduce fans to a new word commonly used in Austria online under the hashtag #B04inAustria . You can also follow #B04inAustria to keep up-to-date with the movements of the Werkself in SalzburgerLand. It’s worth a look. There is also a video message from Chicharito and Kevin Volland.


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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more
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.
Show more