After yesterday's double shift to start the week, Heiko Herrlich led another training session with his players on Tuesday morning. Once again, the Werkself worked in sunshine under blue skies. "Everyone's up for it – it's clear to see everybody is fully motivated. Hats off to the lads for the way they're working," said head coach Heiko Herrlich in praise of his players. And not just that: Charles Aranguiz came onto the training ground 50 minutes later to complete a one-to-one session with the ball under fitness coach Daniel Jouvin. The Chilean has to take it easy due to persistent knee problems.
Finally, he has arrived: Two days after his eighteenth birthday on Sunday, new signing Paulinho is now in Leverkusen. After a 14-hour flight, the TAP Airline landed at Frankfurt Airport at 10.41 CET with Paulinho and five other family members on board. He was met by a Bayer 04 delegation. From there, the ICE train left at 11.55 for Cologne and then there was the short journey to the BayArena. At the home of the Werkself, he then met his fellow countryman Wendell and other future team-mates at 13.30. It remains to be seen when Paulinho will start training with the Werkself. "We don't want to overwork him and we'll have to see how he deals with jet lag. We will introduce him gradually and avoid going from nought to sixty with him," announced Herrlich and he ruled him out for tomorrow's friendly.
Shortly after Paulinho arrived, the Werkself and their coaches faced a flurry of camera flashes – the preliminary team photo was shot at the BayArena. At the command of the photographer, it was time for "heads up and smile." For the new signing from Brazil plus Lukas Hradecky, Mitchell Weiser, Thorsten Kirschbaum, and video analyst Marcel Daum it was the first team photo in Black and Red. And the currently injured Panagiotis Retsos also took part in the photo session – as did the U19 players Sam Schreck, Jakub Bednarczyk, Chinedu Ekene and Thomas Kucz. Absentees from the photo were World Cup player Julian Brandt and World Cup runner-up Tin Jedvaj plus the injured Joel Pohjanpalo. They are due to be on the final team photo planned for the end of August.
After the team photo was taken, there were more cameras waiting for Sven Bender, Leon Bailey and Co.: After Fortuna Düsseldorf and FC Schalke , Bayer 04 are the third Bundesliga club visited by the German Football League (DFL) this season for the so-called media day. In addition to video portraits, photoshoots and numerous shots for Sky, Eurosport and international TV broadcasters, the Werkself players were divided into groups of six (plus a group of coaches) for a range of challenges going on to early in the evening at the #BLMediaDay. The Werkself looked good in the team photo and other individual shots and events.
Heiko Herrlich's team have the first friendly of the pre-season on Wednesday: The opponents from the Rhineland Palatinate are SV Roßbach/Verscheid. The away game in Wiedbachtal is being staged for the 50th anniversary of the Rhineland Cup winners of 2012at the 'In der Au' sports ground in Roßbach/Wied. The match kicks off at 18.00 CET (live on Facebook). The Werkself will not only be playing in the new home kit for the first time but will also make their first journey on the new team bus.
A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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