No usual warm-up routine
There was plenty to do in the morning. Instead of the usual warm-up routine, the coaching staff carried on where they left off the day before: With a tough training session. The Werkself players went through a range of moves at high tempo for over 75 minutes. As in the days before, the ambition of every player was evident in terms of going to the limit and helping to encourage their team-mates.
Group photo on the pitch
After the session there was the chance for the numerous Werkself fans to have their picture taken in a group photo. That was a thank you from Bayer 04 for their loyalty. Some 50 fans happily accepted the offer of a photo with their heroes. The players then took time out to sign autographs before returning to the team hotel. The time between lunch and departure for the ground was used for an afternoon sleep or relaxation.
The running option
After the training session, Heiko Herrlich and assistant coach Lars Kornetka thought of running rather than going on the coach. While other members of the Bayer 04 group took the 15-minute journey back to the team HQ on the bus, Herrlich and Kornetka opted to run back.
Friendly against Antalyaspor
In the evening the Herrlich team took on Turkish first division side Antalyaspor in a friendly with Cameroon international and former Barca star Samuel Eto'o in their squad. In spite of the exertions of recent days, the Werkself produced an impressive performance but were unable to crown that with a win. The match ended 1-1. During half-time, Karim Bellarabi called in to see Bayer 04 TV. The striker is currently suffering with muscle problems and is training on his own. In a Facebook live interview he spoke to commentator Niko Hartmann about his current state of fitness.
Christian Nerlinger pays a visit
The Werkself received another visit from a VIP in the football business on the fourth day: Former pro Christian Nerlinger, who now works as an agent for Jonathan Tah, called into the Bayer 04 team hotel where he took time for conversations with friends and acquaintances. And, of course, with his charge Jonathan Tah.
Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 4-0 win at SGS Essen on the 24th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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In the previous game against RB Leipzig in December last year, the Werkself turned came from behind to win 3-1 and further improved Leverkusen's already strong record against the Red Bulls. Montrell Culbreath stood out with his first goal on his debut for the Black and Reds. While the 18-year-old would certainly like to score a second goal against Leipzig on Saturday night, the attack-minded visitors come to the BayArena in confident mood after five Bundesliga victories in a row. The Nordkurve12 supporters group knows the Werkself will therefore once again be reliant on the vociferous support of the fans, and has once again called for the ‘Finally Red’ campaign in the run-in. Today’s matchday news.
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Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts (EA), together with the German Football League (DFL), announced the top male and female selections for the 2025/26 Bundesliga season this week. Bayer 04 striker Vanessa Fudalla is in the starting eleven of the women's "Team of the Season". Alejandro Grimaldo and Aleix Garcia have been selected as bench players in the men's team.
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After matchday 31 and the 2-1 derby win in Cologne, one thing is certain: Bayer 04 will at least compete in the UEFA Europa League in the coming 2026/27 campaign. But the Werkself want more. Looking at the race for Champions League qualification and the remaining three league fixtures, including against direct rivals, bayer04.de outlines the possible scenarios in the season run-in.
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This special event showed once again how strong Bayer 04 are as a team: As part of ‘BarmeniaGothaer gives joy’, the Werkself players Edmond Tapsoba, Ibrahim Maza and Christian Kofane supported the sale of individually designed T-shirts for a good cause at the Fanwelt on Thursday. Several hundred fans came to take part in the charity campaign. Leverkusen's main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer donated the proceeds to the Fondation Edmond Tapsoba, which helps people in Tapsoba's home country of Burkina Faso in their challenging everyday lives.
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