Before the Swiss coach fielded questions on the training ground, he fulfilled another function on the pitch. Seoane had a whistle round his neck as the took the role of referee. He intervened – albeit rarely – in the event of unfair challenges and clear offsides.
The 43-year-old coach again welcomed the U19 players Sadik Fofana and Ayman Aourir plus the brothers Noah and Leon Pesch at the start of the week.
Missing players included Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou, who are at the Africa Cup of Nations, plus the injured Julian Baumgartlinger and Charles Aránguiz. Timothy Fosu-Mensah was also absent but the Dutchman could return to training during the week according to Seoane. A return to full training is also possible for Amine Adli with the Frenchman completing an individual session on the pitch on Monday.
There was good news about Piero Hincapie: The 19-year-old defender had been left stranded in his home country of Ecuador following a positive Covid-19 test but he has now tested negative and thereby fulfilled the requirements for the return journey to Germany. "We’re happy that Piero can now return and that we have one more player available," said Seoane. "I hope he will be able to have two or three days work with the ball before Saturday's game."
At the moment, it appears likely that the Ecuador international will be in the squad for the Werkself opening match in 2021 against Union Berlin. The game between the teams in fourth and seventh place at the BayArena kicks off at 15.30 CET on Saturday, 8 January.
Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou are in the last few days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations. While Kossounou has been exclusively involved in training sessions with the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso with defender Tapsoba played a friendly against Gabon on Sunday. The warm-up match against the team including Arsenal striker Pierre Emerik Aubameyang, with the Leverkusen player in the Burkina Faso starting line-up, ended with a 3-0 victory.
Tapsoba and Co. are in the opening match of the African tournament against Cameroon on 9 January; the Ivory Coast with Kossounou start three days later against Equatorial Guinea.
Be part of the family, everyone is welcome in Germany's top flight: The German Football League (DFL) are using this motto to get fans in the mood for the start of the second half of the Bundesliga season. Matchday 18 begins on Friday, 7 January with the game between Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Click HERE for the Tweet.
After the opening match in January against Union Berlin, the Werkself play Borussia Mönchengladbach (15 January) and FC Augsburg (22 January) before the weekend off at the end of the month.
Having worked as Bayern Munich's video analyst under coach Pep Guardiola, Lars Kornetka joined the Werkself in the summer of 2014 as analyst assistant coach. He spent four years under the Bayer Cross working in that role with the longest time under head coach Roger Schmidt (125 games). After that he moved on to RB Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven and a few months ago joined Lokomotiv Moscow. Kornetka is now working there as the sporting and communications director. Bayer 04 wish the former Leverkusen man many happy returns on his 44th birthday in the Russian capital.
“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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The Bundesliga is back at the BayArena this Saturday as Bayer 04 play their first home game of the 2026/27 campaign against Union Berlin (15:30 CEST). Moussa Diaby could make his second debut for the Werkself following his return to Leverkusen – and it would be an ideal fixture for the Frenchman. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the encounter in our matchday news.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 2-1 at TSG Hoffenheim on the 3rd matchday of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga 2026/27.
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Paulina Tomasiak’s maiden Bundesliga goal helped Bayer 04 Women to their second away victory of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Bundesliga as Roberto Pätzold’s side won 2-1 at Hoffenheim on Matchday 3. Loreen Bender had scored inside two minutes on Friday evening before the hosts levelled, but Tomasiak came off the bench to secure all three points at the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion.
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