"We have high quality and intensity in training and we always try to go to the limit," said Kevin Volland: "But we also need a break to be able to give 100% the next day." In practice that meant on Friday: time off in the morning, passing drills, shooting and practising various moves in the afternoon.
The pitch in Zell am See did not remain empty in the first half of the day. A team of Leverkusen fans played the Bayer 04 staff in the now traditional fixture. Clear winners were the team behind the Werkself who ran up an impressive goal fest winning 19-04. The victorious team were led by sporting director Simon Rolfes and team manager Hans-Peter Lehnhoff.
For around 70 Bayer 04 supporters, the day continued at lunchtime at the team hotel Tauern Spa in Kaprun. Fernando Carro, the Bayer 04 CEO, invited the fans who had travelled to Salzburger Land for coffee and cakes on the sun terrace and he was very happy to answer numerous questions from the young and older black and red fans. Birthday boy Andreas was particularly happy when Carro presented him with a small present at the end of the round of questions. Rudi Völler also took the chance to greet the fans and thank them for their support on the ground.
A very special guest brought a broad smile to the face of Völler before the training session. Jurica Vranjes, former Croatia international and three years at Bayer 04, called into the team hotel and chatted with Völler about his time as caretaker coach in 2000. Leverkusen remained unbeaten in all five games where Völler played Vranjes in his team. Vranjes was also part of the legendary 2002 team and he played in the Champions League semi-final games against Manchester United.
At the time of those games, Panos Retsos was only three years old and Instagram had yet to be invented. In 2019 it looks completely different as can be seen in the story on @bayer04fussball. The now 20-year-old Greek takes all Werkself followers through the day and shows them a spectacular Brazilian table tennis duel between Paulinho and Wendell, a darts competition in the team room and youngsters playing FIFA. At #B04inAustria there is a host of interesting content worth watching about the Bayer 04 training camp on all social media platforms.
There is double match action on Saturday at the Alois Latini Stadium in Zell am See. The Bosz team play Premier League Watford at 15.00 CET and the second friendly against Spanish top-flight side SD Eibar kicks off at 18.30 CET. Watford, in England's top division for four years, narrowly lost 2-1 on Thursday against the Champions League semi-finalists Ajax. "They are very physical and mostly play 4-4-2," said Bosz, who watched the game with his coaching staff: "They play a completely different way from us!"
The match should certainly be worth watching. It is live on bayer04.de and on TV on Sport1 from 15.00 CET and the duel with Eibar is exclusively live on Bayer 04 TV from 18.30 CET. That match also promises to be entertaining. Bosz: "Spanish teams always want to play football tand it will be a completely different game."
All daily reports:
#B04inAustria – Day 1: Two birthdays and a 'bobble ban'
#B04inAustria – Day 2: Visit from DFB Cup winning captain
#B04inAustria - Day 3: Lars Bender confirmed as captain
#B04inAustria - Day 4: New 'master of all trades'?
Click here for gallery – The best images from day five
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 as he worked 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 personalised 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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Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
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The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
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Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
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The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
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