We didn’t start the New Year well. Of course, we can’t be happy even though we did qualify for the Round of 16 in the cup with the win against Eintracht Frankfurt the week before. One point from the last four Bundesliga games does not live up to our expectations – in spite of strong opponents.
We’re facing one of them today as well. You don’t have to describe Borussia Dortmund’s qualities as they are well-known. But so are our’s. Although we haven’t picked up the points, we have shown a positive trend in the last two games. The first half at Union Berlin was worthy of a top team. The only thing missing was a goal.
We want to do better against BVB. Despite the recent setbacks, a good result could see us move on up. This special season shows that the clubs involved in Europe have to pay the price for a very demanding fixture schedule. That all applies on each and every matchday. The race is a long way from being over.
A word on the events in Berlin on Friday night. It’s always been the case that there can be verbal rough and tumble on the pitch at times. When I was playing, incidents like that were mostly forgotten by the end of the game. Things stayed on the pitch when you shook hands. But these days the players involved and the public are more sensitive. So whoever goes beyond the mark has to live with the consequences. Nevertheless, I believe that a sincere apology means you can deal with an issue in a conciliatory way.
Best wishes, Rudi Völler
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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