In a 90-minute session in wind and rain with a temperature of ten degrees, the focus was on passing and moves as well as sprints. Head coach Gerardo Seoane was able to welcome back the first player from international duty in the shape of Charles Aránguiz. Aránguiz played for Chile on Friday night in a friendly against Morocco (0-2). The midfielder played the first 45 minutes for La Roja in his 95th international appearance.
More good news: Andrey Lunev was back on the training ground for the first time after recovering from a thigh injury. The keeper worked with goalkeeping coach David Thiel.
Amine Adli was involved in much of full training today as well as working on his own. “Amine is on the right track. He still needs to complete endurance tests before getting the all clear from the medical section. The main aim is to correctly assess the recovery from injury as best as possible to minimise the risk as much as we can,” Seoane reported to the media after the session. In addition, the coach included three U19 players in the 16-strong Werkself training group: Keeper Maximilian Neutgens, midfielder Ingyom Jung and striker Noah Pesch.
Florian Wirtz trained on his own at the same time in the neighbouring Ulrich Haberland Stadium. “He’s working to a timetable and is already able to do some things more dynamically. Nevertheless, there’s still a fair way to go,” explained the Swiss coach.
The 43-year-old team boss drew a positive conclusion from recent training sessions: “The part of the squad that’s here has been committed in training, has shown good energy and readiness. I see a team on the pitch that is pulling its weight and trying daily to improve.” For the forthcoming match against Bayern Munich, video analysis and individual discussions will come into play in addition to physical training in the next few days.
Lukas Hradecky and Co. will have the backing of a large number of Black and Red fans at the Allianz Arena: 2,441 tickets have been sold.
To celebrate the 46th birthday of Michael Ballack, Werkself TV brings you his best goals for Bayer 04. HERE is the video.
Michael Ballack joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen from FC Kaiserslautern in the summer of 1999. Under the Bayer Cross, the former Germany captain with the number 13 shirt developed into a world-class player before moving on to Bayern Munich (2002 to 2006) and Chelsea (2006 to 2010). Ballack ended his career where it took off: at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The midfielder with a goal threat made 155 appearances and scored 42 goals (28 assists) in five years at Bayer 04.
Another birthday boy in the Bayer 04 family: Fitness coach Markus Müller is 37 today. Müller joined Leverkusen from Borussia Mönchengladbach at the start of the 2022/23 season after spending six years as a fitness coach with his previous club. Müller, who completed a degree at the German Sports University in Cologne, also worked in the academy at Borussia Dortmund for two years.
After being nominated for the Bundesliga Goal of the Year 2025, Martin Terrier's wonderful strike for the opener against FC Köln is now also up for selection for the ARD Sportschau Goal of the Month award for December 2025. Bayer 04 fans have until 19:00 CET on 10 January to vote for the French forward.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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"In every ending lies a new beginning" is a well-known saying. This phrase has probably never been more apt at Bayer 04. After winning the Bundesliga in 2023/24 and finishing as runners-up in 2024/25, the summer was the most eventful ever in terms of transfers. Over ten players and the coach, including the coaching staff, left the club. A lot of the heroes of the double-winning side began a new chapter. It was the end of an era. And at the same time the beginning of a new, very exciting and promising chapter for Leverkusen. The Werkself welcomed more than a dozen new arrivals, including experienced title-winners and young talents, to build a new "foundation for a successful team capable of winning titles" under the Bayer Cross, as managing director sport Simon Rolfes put it. A new spirit, a new hunger, a new story was to be created. Bayer04.de looks back at the first few months of this story and the final act of the preseason.
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43 points at the end of the last Bundesliga season were not only more than ever before for the Bayer 04 Women, but also led to a record fourth-place finish. That was followed by a Hinrunde with many more victories, but also some setbacks. In an interview with bayer04.de, sporting director Achim Feifel takes stock at the end of the year.
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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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