Ever-present Volland
The Werkself were back on the pitch at the BayArena this morning for the first time after the training camp in La Manga. Tuesday's news in brief.
Sven Bender completed an individual session with fitness coach Daniels Jouvin. The central defender is expected to return to full training towards the end of the week. Leon Bailey, who is suspended for the next two Bundesliga games after being sent off in Cologne, missed the last drill of the day due to slight muscular problems that appeared during the session. Charles Aránguiz is currently in rehab training.
The winger Paulinho, is making slow but sure progress with the Brazil U23s: The 19-year-old is currently involved in a qualification tournament for participation in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The first opponents for Brazil are the Peru U23s on Monday 20 January (kick-off: 02.30 CET). Paulinho and Co. also face the U23 teams from Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in the group stage. Only the top two teams have the chance of taking one of the two Olympic slots for South American countries.
Central defender Sven Bender trained on his own.
Volland on Paderborn
For the rest of the Werkself players, today's training session marked the start of preparations for the first game of the second half of the season away to SC Paderborn (Sunday, 19 January at 18.00 CET). "They've got incredible pace, above all in transition," striker Kevin Volland said in sounding a warning about the next opponents but he also stressed: "We want to make a good start to the second half of the season and produce a convincing performance." With a start or an appearance from the bench in Eastern Westphalia, the 27-year-old would continue a notable run.
Great run
Volland has played in every Bundesliga game for Bayer 04 since matchday 34 in 2017/18 – on 12 May 2018. That makes a total of 51 games in succession. The man from Marktoberdorf was forced to miss the game against Hannover 96 due to a one-match ban and the last game before that (in the derby at FC Köln on 18 March 2018) was missed by the striker due to the birth of his daughter. "I'm delighted that I'm so fit. In addition to that, I'm the sort of person who can grit his teeth when it hurts," explain Volland who, with the exception of two lay-offs due to a broken finger and a torn muscle in his first season at Leverkusen (2016/17), has avoided long-term injuries during the season up to now.
Europa League tickets for members
Tickets for the Werkself home game against FC Porto in the Europa League (20 February, kick-off 21.00 CET) went on sale exclusively to Bayer 04 Club members this morning. Open sale begins on 16 January (10.00 CET).
Happy birthday!
Former Bayer 04 CEO Wolfgang Holzhäuser celebrated his 70th birthday on Monday. The man from South Hessen was the successor to Rainer Calmund as the managing director and spokesperson for the Bayer 04 board. In addition, Holzhäuser was also on the shareholders committee of the of the football club up to 2017.
Today, 14 January, also marks another special birthday: Dietmar Demuth, the first Bundesliga goalscorer for the Black and Reds exactly 14,766 days ago, celebrates his 65th birthday. Bayer 04 wishes all three happy birthday.
Related News
Bayer 04 - 02.01.2026
December Goal of the Month: Vote now for Martin Terrier!
After being nominated for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025, Martin Terrier's wonderful strike for the opener against FC Köln is now also up for selection for the ARD Sportschau Goal of the Month award for December 2025. Bayer 04 fans have until 19:00 CET on 10 January to vote for the French forward.
Show more
Bayer 04 - 01.01.2026
Rudi recounts…: Vollborn’s January highlights
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…
Show more
Bayer 04 - 31.12.2025
The Werkself in 2025: Emotional farewells and dawn of new successful era
"In every ending lies a new beginning" is a well-known saying. This phrase has probably never been more apt at Bayer 04. After winning the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and finishing as runners-up in 2024/25, the summer was the most eventful ever in terms of transfers. Over ten players and the coach, including the coaching staff, left the club. A lot of the heroes of the double-winning side began a new chapter. It was the end of an era. And at the same time the beginning of a new, very exciting and promising chapter for Leverkusen. The Werkself welcomed more than a dozen new arrivals, including experienced title-winners and young talents, to build a new "foundation for a successful team capable of winning titles" under the Bayer Cross, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. A new spirit, a new hunger, a new story was to be created. Bayer04.de looks back at the first few months of this story and the final act of the preseason.
Show more
Women - 30.12.2025
‘Expectation and demands’: Feifel reviews record year for Women's team
43 points at the end of the last Bundesliga season were not only more than ever before for the Bayer 04 Women, but also led to a record fourth-place finish. That was followed by a Hinrunde with many more victories, but also some setbacks. In an interview with bayer04.de, sporting director Achim Feifel takes stock at the end of the year.
Show more
Bayer 04 - 30.12.2025
Bundesliga Goal of the Year: Vote now for Terrier or Wirtz
With their wonderful goals, Martin Terrier and Florian Wirtz are up for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025. Voting for fans will run exclusively via the official Bundesliga app until Sunday, 4 January.
Show more
