
"Leverkusen are currently one of the best teams in the world," highlighted Mexico national team boss Lozano, around 10 years after his previous visit to the BayArena for a Werkself home match. "The way they play and go about it is very impressive. Bayer 04 and the Bundesliga have been highly regarded in Central and South America for many years and attract great interest. We Mexicans love watching the games of clubs like Bayer 04, Dortmund or Bayern."
Lozano used his visit to Leverkusen to learn a thing or two about the day-to-day work of the coaching team led by Xabi Alonso and the club's management. "Xabi, his staff and the entire club are doing a great job," said the 45-year-old: "That's also being heard in Mexico. The positive development of the club is being followed with great interest there."

After attending the Werkself's training session on Tuesday outside the BayArena, Lozano and his three fellow coaches also used the time under the Cross to hold talks with Bayer 04 bosses, including CEO Fernando Carro. "We are happy about every exchange and every new experience that we can take away from such trips," said Lozano, who also visits the Mexican internationals playing in Europe with his coaching team.
For the Mexican national team, the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against Panama is on the horizon in around four weeks' time. Then in the summer there's an unusual highlight: Mexico, like the USA and Canada, will take part in the Copa America, the South American continental tournament. The three nations from the North and Central American Football Association will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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.
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Kasper Hjulmand has led the Werkself back to winning ways and is back in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League with Bayer 04 after the 3-0 win against Villarreal on Wednesday evening. In an interview with the Werkself magazine at the BayArena in the team meeting room, directly opposite the dressing room, he provided some special insights for the current issue, which was published in January. A conversation with the 53-year-old coach about values, attitudes and personal experiences as well as interests outside of football.
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The thrilling 3-1 win for Bayer 04 against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Hinrunde is a fond memory for Alejandro Grimaldo, with his brace from free kicks, and coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was in the dugout under the Cross for the first time. Now comes the return fixture in the metropolis on the River Main and after going out of the DFB Pokal and the Champions League, the full focus at Eintracht, currently managed by two interim coaches, is now on the Bundesliga. For their part, the Werkself will do everything in their power to continue the longest winning run against a Bundesliga club. The matchday news.
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Bayer 04 have ended Artem Stepanov’s loan deal at Nürnberg and agreed a new loan to Utrecht in the Netherlands. The Ukrainian striker did not play as much as hoped for at the Bundesliga 2 club and will now continue his development in the Eredivisie for the rest of 2025/26.
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The draw for the knockout play-offs of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League was made on Friday, 30 January and saw Bayer 04 paired with Olympiacos. It’s a reunion with the Greek side following the Werkself’s 2-0 loss in Athens on Matchday 7 of the league phase.
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