Back in Leverkusen: After a total of twelve Werkself players were on the road with their national teams last week, Gerardo Seoane was able to welcome back the first returnees to training on Thursday morning. Edmond Tapsoba, Moussa Diaby, Odilon Kossounou, Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah were the first five internationals to complete their first training session in the shadow of the BayArena.
The South American international players Exequiel Palacios, Charles Aránguiz and Piero Hincapie only return to Germany today and they will rejoin the squad tomorrow (Friday).
Speaking to the media, Seoane spoke about the international break and the numerous call-ups as follows: I'm always very keen to follow the international games and the performance of our players called up. Of course, you always have one eye on their fitness. But I always prefer it if the players get to play. That shows they've produced the performances to get there. And they also keep in a rhythm. There are obviously benefits of players staying here as we can control their workload," said the Swiss coach.
The 43-year-old coach was positive about Charles Aránguiz playing for Chile: "Charly has been hit with a lot of injuries in recent years but he's been completely free of problems for several games. He always produces good performances in whichever role he plays for us. To that extent, it's important for him to be at 100% so that he can keep in rhythm over a longer period of time and we don't have to take any risks."
Seoane highlighted the attitude of the midfield maestro: "He's very professional, works a lot, is focused and he knows his body. He has a role model function in our team. He's always the first there and one of the last to go."
For the home game at the BayArena against Hertha Berlin on Saturday 2 April (kick-off: 15.30 CEST), there will be a large number of closures affecting S-Bahn and motorway traffic due to the work on infrastructure for the Rhein-Ruhr-Express: S-Bahn trains between Cologne and Düsseldorf terminate at the Chempark station. From here there is a replacement bus service to Langenfeld – the same applies in the other direction.
All visitors planning to travel by rail are advised by Bayer 04 to take the RB 48 to the Leverkusen-Manfort station. From there there is a 20-minute walk to the BayArena.
From Friday 1 April (22.00 CEST) to Monday 11 April (05.00 CEST), the Willy-Brandt-Ring between Carl-Duisberg-Straße and Edith-Weyde-Straße will be completely closed to road traffic as well as pedestrians and cyclists. The motorway exit from the A3 interchange for Leverkusen city centre is closed. Diversions will be shown for road traffic.
Car drivers wanting to reach the Kurtekotten car park via the A3 should come off the motorway in Köln-Mülheim and head for the car park via the B8 in the direction of Leverkusen (Düsseldorfer Straße). Otto-Bayer-Straße is recommended for satnav use. Car drivers who have parking permits around the BayArena recommended to use the A3 taking the Leverkusen-Opladen exit. From there, the car parks (green and red) will be signposted.
Bayer 04 recommends all fans to arrive early at the game. The BayArena opens two hours before kick-off at 13.30 CEST.
Lothar Matthäus talked about a possible call-up to the Germany squad for Robert Andrich in an article in the Bild Zeitung. The Germany international with the record number of caps compared the Werkself number 8 to Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich): "Robert Andrich is a similar player to Kimmich. At Leverkusen he’s shown he has the answers on the pitch." The TV pundit also shared a prediction: "I think he – if he maintains his performances – will get the call from Hansi (Germany coach Flick, ed.).”
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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