For 'Kirsche' and his fellow goalkeepers Rambo Özcan and Tomasz Kucz, there was a lot to do towards the end of the session: Shooting practice was on the agenda – Lucas Alario, Leon Bailey, Karim Bellarabi, Dominik Kohr, Sam Schreck, Kevin Volland, Mitchell Weiser fired in shots from all angles. In contrast to yesterday's session, Sven Bender was missing. The reason: The 29-year-old, accompanied by a Bayer 04 team doctor, was in Munich for a control examination. His brother completed an individual training session in the gym at the BayArena.
Bayer 04 supporters will not be able to see the Bender twins on Wednesday: The afternoon session will be held behind closed doors at the request of the coaching staff.
Both Lars and Sven Bender will be involved on Wednesday (5 September) when the remaining players plus the coaching staff support the Bayer 04 employees on the 'Wir(04)helfen day'. For a fourth time, the club is spending a day working at a social facility in Leverkusen. This year it is the Wildpark Reuschenberg. The Werkself delegation will help with the revamp of part of the otter enclosure, install new bicycle stands, repair benches or paint tables.
Bayer 04 have a new sleeve partner this season: Kieser Training is a Premium partner with the Werkself. The extensive sponsorship package includes a range of advertising opportunities including photo shoots. Today, Tuesday, that took place in the second floor of the BayArena with Rudi Völler (managing director sport) and the two players Karim Bellarabi and Kevin Volland. One thing is sure: It was an entertaining shoot and the footage is sure to be seen soon.
Julian Brandt has worn the number 10 shirt for Bayer 04 since the summer of 2017. Hakan Calhanoglu had left the club, the number was available and Jule was quick to take his chance. When he was offered the same number for his shirt with the Germany squad, the 22-year-old did not need much time to make up his mind. "It's an honour to wear the number 10 shirt," said Brandt at a Germany press conference this afternoon – he emphasised he had not put in a request for the prestigious number. On Thursday (6 September, 20.45 CET) , Jule, who had the number 20 shirt at the World Cup in Russia, could wear the number 10 for the first time in the international against France.
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.
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Four Bayer 04 players are in action at the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations being played in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026: Eliesse Ben Seghir for the hosts, Edmond Tapsoba with Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Maza for Algeria and Christian Kofane with Cameroon. Updates on the AFCON matches involving Werkself players...
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The ‘year after’ the most successful year in the club's history brought many changes at Bayer 04. In an exclusive double interview with bayer04.de shortly before the Christmas break, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes spoke about building a new team capable of winning trophies, the work of coach Kasper Hjulmand, the young new signings who have quickly developed into key players, and their personal plans for the Christmas holidays. Their outlook for the coming year also shows that the potential is far from exhausted and ambitions remain high.
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Last-minute ecstasy, huge disappointment and a historic performance on the European stage - 2025 was a real emotional roller coaster, especially for the U19s. A rousing run in the knockout phase secured the team a place in the final of the German championships, where they lost by the narrowest of margins. Despite the departure of several key players, the young Werkself team quickly regained their usual strength and qualified for the knockout rounds in the UEFA Youth League for the first time at the end of the year. In 2025, youngsters Jeremiah Mensah and Montrell Culbreath made their debuts in the Bundesliga, the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Champions League. The other youth teams also contributed great performances and a number of trophies to the collective Black and Red success, while the successful Bayer 04 Future Kids project broke new ground. Read on for the 2025 review of the youth teams.
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A memorable 12 months: 2025 was a year marked by success, intense competition and groundbreaking innovations for the #B04eSports team. After ending the 2024/25 season as runners-up, the Leverkusen-based console pros got down to business in a new, completely restructured season model, in which showdowns rather than divisions were the decisive factor on the road to the final round of the German Club Championship. Bayer 04 quickly earned a place in the history books of the most prestigious competition in German eSports and secured some valuable advantages for the coming year. Bayer04.de takes a look back at 12 months full of passion and the determination to take the next step.
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