The morning rays promised summer temperatures. And so it was. The squad were able to train in the first session in a morning temperature of 22 degrees.
Double training session to finish
The heat did everybody good after the recent rainy days: management, coaches, players plus the whole team behind the team. Well perhaps everybody. Bayer 04 photographer, and lover of the summer, Jörg Schüler would have been happy for a few wispy clouds to break up the stark contrasts. Nevertheless, he continued to take some fine photographs. And the Werkself on the pitch at the Alois Latini Stadium provided a good subject. After a 'day of rest' on Friday, the players carried on where they had left off on Thursday night. They ran, worked hard, dribbled, passed and shot with 100 per cent effort – without losing the necessary element of fun. Looking on, it seems like the Werkself have developed into a unit this week. That was evident in the afternoon session where there were no complaints despite oppressive temperatures in the upper twenties.
Kieß goes for a paddle
Stefan Kießling completed an individual training session with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin following a painful dead leg in the friendly against Antalyaspor on Thursday. After the morning session he made his way to the nearby Zeller See. He spent around 20 minutes in the water completing recovery exercises. "I don't know whether I'll be able to play against Lazio tomorrow. It will be tight. I feel good overall – I suppose I've enjoyed my last training camp and I'm very much looking forward to the new season," said Kießling.
Team photo on the training ground
There has been a nice tradition at Bayer 04 for many years: A photo of all players, coaches and staff is taken at the Alois Latini Stadium on the last day of training. The tradition continued in 2017 and everybody gathered on the pitch at 11.50 CET. The peak of the snow-covered Kitzsteinhorn provided a delightful background to the photo.
Schade, Rotthaus and first staff members leave team HQ
There was a lot of packing to do after the training session in the afternoon. Three minibuses for the kit team, doctors and physios were loaded up for the journey home. For the 04 staff members – Hans-Peter Lehnhoff, Hansi Blum, Stephen Hartner and Tobias Schäuble – the training camp ended after the evening meal and it was off in the direction of Leverkusen. CEO Michael Schade and communications director Jochen A. Rotthaus had already left in the early evening.
Team watch When We Were Kings
As a bedtime treat ahead of the last day of the training camp, that ends with the friendly against Lazio (15.30 CET in Grödig), the whole Werkself squad watched When We Were Kings in the team area. The documentary film was about the world heavyweight boxing title challenge between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974. The fight went into the annals of sporting history as the Rumble in the Jungle.
Interview with Rudi Völler and ‘Black or Red’ with Heiko Herrlich
On the penultimate day of the training camp, Bayer 04 TV spoke to sporting director Rudi Völler in Zell am See about the training camp, the new season and the match against Lazio. Head coach Heiko Herrlich celebrated the first on Saturday night. For the first time he answered questions in the popular 'Black or Red' heading, a tailored game of decision-making. The video with his answers will soon be available on the Bayer 04 social media channels.
#B04inAustria –For all the news and updates.
Using the hashtag #B04inAustria it is possible to keep up-to-date with #Werkself and #Bayer 04 round-the-clock. There are also daily, exclusive stories from the heart of the team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. It's worth taking a look
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