The former Bayer 04 player was with the Black and Reds for nine years before moving from Leverkusen to Venice ahead of the current 2022/23 season. In the current campaign in the Italian second division, the centre forward has scored seven goals and provided four assists to date. That makes the 28-year-old the top striker and best provider for FCV. In the 2-2 draw against Parma on Boxing Day, the Finland international scored to make it 2-1 (70') and eight minutes later laid on the assist for the equaliser scored by teammate Nicolas Pierini.
Bayer 04 keeper Lukas Hradecky will meet two other finish fellow countrymen in addition to Pohjanpalo on Saturday in the Venezia goalkeeper duo of Jesse Joronen and Niki Mäenpää. Also in the Venezia squad: Michaël Cuisance. The French midfielder move from Bayern Munich to Italy in the winter of last year.
The Black and Greens have been coached by Paolo Vanoli since November of last year. The 50-year-old was working as a technical coach for the Italy team and was previously assistant coach to Antonio Conte at Chelsea between 2017 and 2018.
Following relegation from Serie A last season, Pohjanpalo and Co. are currently seventeenth in Serie B. The friendly against the Alonso team provides a warm-up ahead of the return to league action on Monday 16 January. The opponents then are third-placed Genoa CFC, the former club of Bayer 04 player Nadiem Amiri.
Tickets are still available for the match against the ‘Leoni Alati’ (‘The Winged Lions’). Match tickets are available HERE.
Bayer 04 will broadcast the game against the club from Italy live on Werkself TV and YouTube. Niko Hartmann will provide live commentary for Werkself Radio.
Edmond Tapsoba is one of the pillars of the Bayer 04 team. The defender is now in his seventh season with the Werkself and taking on a new role as a leader on and off the pitch. Talking to Werkself Magazine, the 26-year-old Burkina Faso international explains the increased demands placed on his position within the team, his role as a “big brother” and why the squad’s overhaul is an opportunity for him and the team.
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The Werkself have completed an intensive preseason and made a successful start to the 2025/26 campaign in the DFB Pokal as the new Bundesliga season finally starts this week. And, as in the cup tie in Großaspach (4-0), head coach Erik ten Hag's team can continue to look forward to strong support from the Bayer 04 fans at the BayArena. There is continuing high demand for tickets both for match tickets and season cards. And other stats from the past weeks and months show: the fans are up for Bayer 04!
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed the French central defender Loïc Badé. The France international joins the Werkself from top-flight Spanish club FC Sevilla. Badé has signed a contract at Leverkusen to 30 June 2030. The 25-year-old will wear the number 5 jersey in the team led by head coach Erik ten Hag.
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Bienvenue à Leverkusen, Loïc Badé! Bayer 04 have signed the 25-year-old defender from FC Sevilla. The France international has signed a contract at Leverkusen to 2030 and he will wear the number 5 jersey. Bayer04.de profiles the 1.91 metre new signing who has experience in England and France as well as Spain.
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