Aleix Garcia on…
…his first days under the Cross: "I feel very at home. I've been well received by the whole team. Xabi [Alonso] talks to me in Spanish, which makes it easier for me to settle at the moment. Everything's still new to me currently, but I've enjoyed the first days. The weather has also been great this week - I know it's not normally that similar to Spain (laughs). That's no problem, though. I'm here to play football and not for holiday!"
…his reasons for moving to Leverkusen: "It was a difficult decision. We built something at Girona last season and achieved a lot with qualification for the Champions League. Changes are part of football, though. I now see a great opportunity at Leverkusen to further my development and I'm very happy with my decision. I'm confident I'll find my feet quickly since we played a similar style at Girona."
…the role of head coach Xabi Alonso in the negotiations: "I followed Bayer 04 last season. They played great football and won trophies. Xabi explained on the phone what he expects from me. The first impression was very positive. Xabi was a magnificent player and is now a good coach. He's also an important reason why I signed for Bayer 04."
…his playing style and the high competition in his position: "I'm a midfielder, I like to move a lot. I like my position because I have direct contact with both the defence and the attack. I'm aware there's a lot of competition in my position. It won't be easy but I think competition is a good thing. Granit [Xhaka], Exequiel [Palacios] and Rob [Andrich] are good midfield players and we'll push each other forward. It's an honour for me to play with them. I'll work hard every day to show that I'm ready."
…the Bundesliga and early impressions of the Bayer 04 fans: "There are some other strong teams in the league who are also represented in Europe. Admittedly I've never played against a German team before but I expect a very physical and high-quality league. I've also spoken to a few people about the Bundesliga and they all said to me that the atmosphere is great, which I'm looking forward to. There have already been a lot of fans at training in the last few days - in Spain you might get that once or twice a year. I find that really nice here. I like the contact to the fans because at the end of the day, it's they who come to every match at the stadium and support the team. I'm already massively looking forward to the matches."
Calling all Bayer 04 fans: The Werkself will play Pisa SC, newly promoted to Serie A, at the BayArena as part of the season opener. The clash with the club from Tuscany is on Tuesday, 5 August with the kick-off at 18:00 CET. Entrance to the stadium with a wide range of entertainment provided is possible from 15:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales for the season opener.
Show moreBayer 04 Leverkusen have signed the 17-year-old forward Dustin Buck. The Germany youth international joins from the youth set-up at FC Augsburg. The technically gifted and fast attacker will strengthen the Werkself U19 squad.
Show moreSeveral Bayer 04 Legends, Bayer executives, club officials, current defender Arthur and, of course, dozens of enthusiastic children turned out on Saturday on the south side of Sao Paulo for the official opening of the Bayer 04 Football Academy, located at Club Bayer on the campus of Bayer Brazil.
Show moreA great night for 'Calle': Bayer 04 new signing Carlotta Wamser helped Germany to an opening win in the Women's Euro in Switzerland with an impressive performance. After coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 victory over Poland in Group C, the winger provided an assist and helped set up the second goal. The 21-year-old earned great praise from her coach and teammates in her first tournament match.
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