
Our ‘golden boy’ is back! Four days after the win for Brazil in the Olympic final played in Yokohama, Paulinho was already back on the training ground at the BayArena. Ahead of the warm-up, he was congratulated on this very special title with a round of applause from his teammates. Visibly in a good mood and fall of zest for action, the 21-year-old winger completed his first session under the new Werkself head coach Gerardo Seoane.






Left-back Mitchel Bakker also returned to training on Tuesday. Following his thigh injury and individual sessions in the past few days, the new signing from Paris Saint-Germain took part in all the drills in the one-hour morning session.
The first training session of the day was followed in the afternoon by the monthly internal Media Day where the Werkself players run through various social media formats and small photo shoots. This time returnee Paulinho took a special role; the Olympic champion was photographed at the BayArena with his gold medal. In addition, new signing Odilon Kossounou faced the popular social media Q&A 'Black or Red?'..
As with the players in the second division two weeks ago, the players in Germany's top flight will also start the new season by supporting the DFL #ÄrmelHoch (sleeves up) campaign. The plan is for players to run onto the pitch with their teammates with their right sleeves rolled up. The idea is for the Bundesliga clubs to raise awareness of the significance of vaccinations in the battle against coronavirus.
The Werkself are away to FC Union Berlin at the start of the new season on Saturday, 14 August. The match at the Alte Försterei Stadium kicks off at 15.30 CEST.
Numerous greats of German football more come together at the Mosel STADIUM in Trier on Wednesday night to support the victims of the flooding disaster in the region. Under the motto 'Help after the flood: The benefit match of German football' the event will involve DFB All Stars, the Rhineland Palatinate Lotto team and the national team of mayors playing each other.
Former Werkself players involved with the teams are Jens Nowotny, Philipp Wollscheid, Lukas Sinkiewicz and Thomas Zdebel. SPORT1 will broadcast the game live from 20.30 CEST with the three matches lasting 35 minutes each.
Tickets for the match are available for €5, €10 and €15 from Ticket Regional. Tickets can be bought online from all the usual booking offices or via the hotline on 0651 9790 777. Donations can be made by the donation platform betterplace.org.

Alejo Sarco has left Bayer 04 Leverkusen to join Sporting Gijón in Spain’s second division. Bayer 04 have secured a buy-back clause for the 20-year-old Argentine striker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed 16-year-old midfield prospect Gabriel Minutillo on a long-term contract. The Germany youth international will play for the U19s this season.
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Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
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Bayer 04 will have to manage without forward Eliesse Ben Seghir for the time being.
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