In interview with bayer04.de, the 22-year-old talked about his own impressive development, interaction with his teammates on and off the pitch plus his role as en 'enforcer'.
Odi, with three wins in three games we can talk about a successful start to the season. What do you think are the reasons for that?
Kossounou: I think we have a different mentality this season. We are really on it and that's why our game is better. That process started in the pre-season and now we can see the result in the league. Everybody is performing well individually but, above all, also as a team. That gives us confidence.
How do you assess your development since your move to Leverkusen in the summer of 2021 and in which areas do you think you have made the biggest progress in?
Kossounou: There's a huge difference between the Belgian league and the Bundesliga. When I came here,I mainly needed to improve in the tactical area. Gerardo (Seoane, ed.) and Xabi (Alonso, ed.) both worked with me a lot to make me smarter. Now I've come on a long way.
Feeling good is a crucial factor in a good performance. Why are you so happy here in Leverkusen at the moment?
Kossounou: The atmosphere in the dressing room is brilliant – also the whole staff who work with you here everyday. Everybody gets on with each other. I look forward to coming here every day, training with the lads but also doing things away from the pitch. Of course, I'm very happy when my family can come to watch games but to be honest: The club now feels like a big family to me.
A good team is also needed for good individual performances. How did you see interaction in the defence and how do you communicate with each other?
Kossounou: In French. (He laughs) But not only the communication with the people next to me in Jona (Jonathan Tah, ed.) and Eddy (Edmond Tapsoba, ed.) is special. Each of us has different qualities and that produces a good mix and probably makes us so good as a group in the end. Eddy is strong on the ball and plays great passes. Jona is our leader in the centre, he communicates a lot and helps us and the team enormously with that. And I… My job is simply to keep every striker who gets close to us out of the way. That mostly works out really well. (He laughs)
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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