There was a good mix of training, matches and time off in San Francisco, Los Angeles und San Diego. And one or two players used the opportunity to spend their summer holidays in the Californian sun afterwards. During the three-week stay, the idea was born of holding the annual winter training camp, which in the 80s mostly took place on the Canary Islands, in Orlando in January 1991.
The second Gulf War and the American attacks on Baghdad unsettled members of the team and it came to a vote: The majority the players voted to stay in Germany.
With temperatures of minus ten degrees, they trained on Timmendorfer Strand on a frozen surface. But a year later in January 1992 came the change: Sunny and warm Florida awaited. That was certainly what the kit man Harald Wohner thought and he only packed shorts and short sleeve shirts. In the first training session, there was a shock for the team with the temperature at four degrees so it was another case of freezing training. Our good friend Harry then raided the local sports shops. The players were then able to train in colourful but suitable kit.
But the short sleeve shirts were used in matches. And in the words of our physio Dieter Trzolek, "They're supposed to run and not stand still!" The weather in Florida improved and it turned out to be a successful training camp. The Werkself came out on top in games against the USA Olympic team (3-1) and a local amateur side (14-0). There was also a 3-1 victory against Orlando Lions, an American top-flight side.
To end the training camp, Bayer 04 flew to Los Angeles for the final game against the Mexican champions UNA Mexico. There was a clash under real competitive conditions in front of 10,000 passionate Mexican fans. The first real test in 1992 ended with a 1-1 draw.
Unfortunately the training camp did not bring the desired success at the end of the season as Bayer 04 failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup and lost out in the DFB Cup semi-finals on penalties against Borussia Mönchengladbach. But it was back to Orlando a year later. And what happened at the end of the season in 1993 should be familiar to every Bayer 04 fan.
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
Show more
José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
Show more
In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
Show more
In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
Show more
September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
Show more
