Bayer 04 adopted the 2G status as an access requirement for entry to the BayArena early in the current season. In addition, the two managing directors Fernando Carro and Rudi Völler have again and again emphasised in recent weeks that the coronavirus pandemic can only be brought under control through a high vaccination rate. And team captain Lukas Hradecky joined in the appeal after the Bundesliga match at RB Leipzig (3-1), played behind closed doors, to roll up sleeves: "I advise everybody to get vaccinated. That's the only thing that will help."
The Leverkusen squad members are leading the way by setting a good example. After the Monday morning session the players who were vaccinated in the summer received a booster at the BayArena. Hradecky and Co. are being given the chance to recover with a day off from training on Tuesday. Wednesday will mark the start of preparations for the home game against Fürth.
In addition to the Werkself players, the training and support staff were offered third vaccinations on Monday. The rest of the Bayer 04 staff will have the chance to boost their vaccination protection on Friday, 3 December. All members of the first-team squad and staff at Bayer 04 are now either vaccinated or recovered.
Karim Bellarabi had a different medical problem to deal with at the weekend. The striker, recovering from a muscle injury, had a bout of tonsillitis. The 31-year-old was unable to travel to Leipzig and he started a course of antibiotics. Bellarabi should be able to train with the team again over the course of the week.
It has been even longer since Timothy Fosu-Mensah was alongside his teammates at the BayArena. When the Dutchman, who suffered a torn cruciate at the end of February, will be back in in a Leverkusen shirt was alluded to by head coach Gerardo Seoane on Monday: "He will definitely play in December." Albeit not in the final group match in the Europa League away to Ferencváros on 9 November. As it was unclear in the summer as to when Fosu-Mensah would be available again and there are only a limited number of places in the squad, the defender was not registered for the group stage.
A scare at training on Monday morning: Iker Bravo was left on the ground after a challenge, had to be treated by medical staff and he was finally taken back to the dressing room on a golf buggy. Head coach Gerardo Seoane sounded the all clear. The 16-year-old Spaniard just suffered a knock. "There was nothing alarming," said the Swiss coach.
As one of eleven players worldwide, Werkself striker Patrik Schick has been nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award in 2021. The award goes to the best goal in the calendar year. The Czech Republic international scored a goal from over 45 yards out in the European Championship game against Scotland in the middle of June. The wonderful long-range effort was one of five goals scored by the 25 year-old at the Euros. The Czech Republic went out in the quarter-finals against Denmark (1-2).
The winner of the Puskas Award is chosen by an international panel consisting of a committee of FIFA legends as well as fans across the world registered on FIFA.com. The votes of these two groups are treated equally. The award will presented in series on 17 January 2022. Click HERE to vote. If Schick wins the vote then he will be the successor to a former Leverkusen player: Tottenham's Heung-Min Son, at Bayer 04 from 2013 to 2015, scored the best goal a year ago.
A new challenge for Tayfun Korkut: The former Werkself coach has signed a contract to the end of the season at Hertha Berlin. The Stuttgart-born coach joined Bayer 04 in March 2017 and he was able to ensure the unsettled team did not get relegated. We wish the 47-year-old much success for the new mission in the capital.
Less than a year ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moved from the Bayer 04 U19s to Austrian top-flight club FC Red Bull Salzburg. The forward’s development since then has been impressive. In 36 matches, including in the UEFA Europa League, the 18-year-old has scored 14 goals. In the summer, Alajbegovic, now a Bosnia international, will return to Leverkusen - and thus not only achieve the next milestone still early in his career, but also enrich the Werkself squad with his footballing versatility and determination.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with forward Nathan Tella ahead of schedule. The versatile 26-year-old, who can be deployed as a right winger, false nine or left winger, has penned a new contract to 30 June 2031. Tella joined the Werkself from Championship club Southampton in 2023. His previous contract ran to the summer of 2028.
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Nathan Tella has extended his contract with Bayer 04 to 2031. In an interview with Werkself TV, the 26-year-old talks about fulfilling his dreams, his positive outlook on life and his goals for the future. He answers the questions in English - all except the last one, which he addresses directly to the fans...
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In the final international break in the current 2025/26 campaign, Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick with Czechia will be battling for a place at the World Cup. Meanwhile, national teams that have already qualified, include other Werkself players called up, are involved in friendlies in the build-up to the World Cup. Read on for an overview of the Leverkusen internationals and their match dates.
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The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.
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