Throughout the summer break, persistent transfer rumours swirled around Jens Nowotony (to Arsenal), Michael Ballack (to FC Bayern), Diego Placente (to Real Madrid) and Paulo Rink (abroad to England or France). The Brazilian Ze Roberto is said to be “all but certain” (Kicker, 25 June 2001) of a move to Deportivo La Coruña, but in the end, on this sunny June day, they all remained part of the Bayer 04 squad for the 2001/2002 season.
a team with big names
The Werkself played their first friendly of the season away to FV Rheindorf. In this relaxed warm-up match, Ulf Kirsten, Bernd Schneider and Markus Daun each found the back of the net three times. Thomas Brdaric (2 goals), Zoltan Sebescen and Frankie Hejduk, along with an own goal, are the other goalscorers in the 14–0 victory over their neighbours.
When the Bayer 04 squad set off for their training camp in St Gallen, Switzerland, on 3 July, the international players Jens Notowny, Carsten Ramelow, Oliver Neuville and Michael Ballack were also on board. However, the following were absent
reserve keeper Frank Juric, who was confined to bed with a viral infection in his native Australia; Brazilian defender Lucio, who was still away with Brazil; Ze Roberto; and Diego Placente, the Argentine left-back. Lucio was the main talking point, as there were rumours of a €35 million offer for him from Lazio. To the press’s surprise, however, Ze Roberto turns up at Säntispark in Switzerland. Deportivo La Coruña are not prepared to pay the 15 million euros demanded by Bayer 04, so manager Reiner Calmund puts his foot down: “Ze is staying here. I’ve no desire to start haggling.”
pundits have little faith in the Werkself
The Werkself win another friendly against Rot-Weiß Weiler 11–1, and to round off the training camp, Bayer 04 suffer a 3-2 defeat against Liverpool. After eight days in Switzerland, the Black and Reds then set off for Dessau, where Bayer 04 face Hertha Berlin in the first round of the League Cup. On 12 July 2001, Toppmöller’s team lose 2-1 and are able to focus on preparing for the start of the season.
The pundit predictions for the coming season are very poor. Bayer 04 are rarely regarded as contenders for a Champions League finish. While the Werkself had always been among the title favourites in previous years, journalists do not have much faith in the Leverkusen side despite players such as Lucio, Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack, Carsten Ramelow, Bernd Schneider, Hans Jörg Butt, Yildiray Bastürk, Ulf Kirsten, Oliver Neuville, Boris Zivkovic, Zoltan Sebescen, Ze Roberto, Dimitar Berbatov and Diego Placente. Looking back today, this seems unimaginable given the calibre of those players, but many have lost faith in a strong Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
winning Start against Wolfsburg
Following a 4–1 pre-season win at Swedish side BK Häcken – where centre-back Lucio is still sidelined through injury – and a 2–0 away victory at Offenbacher Kickers, the Werkself are in the final stages of preparation for their first Bundesliga match of the 2001/2002 season. VfL Wolfsburg are the visitors to the BayArena on Saturday, 28 July.
