The signing and announcement of the contract was held in a formal setting: SalzburgerLand invited Bayer 04 to the casino on Zeller See. The Werkself took the opportunity to turn out in force. “This is our fifth year here. This partnership is an absolute win-win situation for our club,” declared Bayer 04 managing director Michel Schade. “The facilities are excellent, the training ground is in great condition. Salzburger Land is an ideal location for a training camp. That’s why we keep coming here,” said Schade.
Bayer 04 sporting director Rudi Völler is not unduly concerned by the rainy weather this year: “We’ve always had great weather in the past. I don’t think it’s a bad thing the sun hasn’t shone as much this time. It’s more comfortable for training than extreme heat. The groundsmen are doing an outstanding job under these weather conditions too.”
“Feels like a family”
Leo Bauernberger, CEO of SalzburgerLand Tourismus GmbH: “We are very happy to continue our partnership with a top German club. The training camp in Zell am See/Kaprun obviously plays an important role. North-Rhine Westphalia is an important target market for Salzburger Land. We can use our partnership with Bayer 04 at our events to showcase the beauty of Salzburger Land.” The CEO of the holiday region of Zell am See/Kaprun, Renate Ecker, sees contact with Bayer 04 as much more than a partnership: “Guests have become friends. And now it feels like a family.”
This is the fifth year the Werkself have been in Salzburger Land for pre-season preparations. The Hotel Tauern Spa in Kaprun is once again the base for the team and the Alois Latini Stadium, home to FC Zell am See, the venue for the many intensive training sessions.
Panagiotis, known as Panos, Retsos wore the Bayer 04 jersey for three years. Including his loan spells, he was under contract with the Werkself for a total of four and a half years. "It's a very special club for me," said the 27-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club Olympiacos in 2022, in an interview with bayer04.de. The former Leverkusen man is now captain and a first choice for the Werkself's next opponents in the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the clash on Tuesday night, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Retsos talks about his fond memories of his time in Leverkusen and the imminent reunion with some of his former team-mates. He also talks about who brought him to Leverkusen and why he likes getting older.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without goalkeeper Mark Flekken and forward Nathan Tella for the time being.
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After a week in the Algarve, the Bayer 04 Women returned home on Saturday afternoon. The Werkself had six training sessions, two friendlies and a lot of time together as a team. Roberto Pätzold's team will be back in action in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga next Friday for the start of matchday 15.
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"We didn’t make the right decision at the right moments," said captain Robert Andrich after the 1-0 defeat away to TSG Hoffenheim, where Bayer 04 endeavoured to control the game but failed to score. The Werkself also had two enforced substitutions due to injuries. Nevertheless, the coach, captain and debutant Janis Blaswich are positive about the coming weeks. The Werkself review.
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