After the runaway 5-1 victory over Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Friday night, Peter Bosz decided to give his players the weekend off. And that meant the Werkself only returned to work on Monday morning – that involved analysis of the Mainz match and a 90-minute session on the training ground. In wet and blustery conditions, the Black and Reds worked on passing, shooting and positional play. That was followed in the afternoon by the first preparations for the clash with team currently lying second in the top-flight in Russia.
Birthday boy Jonathan Tah was joined on the training ground by Julian Baumgartlinger. The 31-year-old Austrian suffered a broken nose in a challenge late-on at Mainz and he underwent an operation the next day. In spite of bruising under his left eye,the midfielder completed the full session just two days later. "In the positional play we put Baumi a bit more out on the flanks to keep him out of challenges," explained Bosz. A protective mask is due to be delivered to Leverkusen this afternoon and the Werkself number 15 is set to wear it for the next few games. It remains to be seen if Baumgartlinger will be in the line-up in Krasnodar. "We have to be prepared for a physical game in Krasnodar with lots of challenges. But I think he'll be able to travel."
Unlike the skipper Lars Bender, who again missed training due a thigh injury and he may well be ruled out for the first leg in the southern Russian city. Joel Pohjanpalo (rehab after ankle in jury) and Panagiotis Retsos are also sidelined. The latter was wearing his boots again on Monday afternoon on the road to recovery following a thigh injury – the 20-year-old completed a session on the training ground with the ball under medical supervision.
The working week for the Werkself players and coaches started with a photo session for the new team photo.Head coach Peter Bosz, his assistant Hendrie Krüzen and fitness coach Terry Peters were joined by youth player Jan Boller. The 18-year-old defender was in the Bayer 04 first team squad for the first time for the DFB Cup tie at Heidenheim.
A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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On Saturday, 28 March, the lights will go out again at the BayArena from 20:30 pm to 21:30. As in previous years, Bayer 04 once again take part in the WWF Earth Hour campaign under the motto "We're switching off" as the club wants to set a collective example for more climate and environmental protection together with people, cities and companies around the world.
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Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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