Not normally a start full of fun but essential for a professional training programme. The Werkself are looking to lay the foundations for the most successful possible season over the coming weeks.
In addition to internal, orthopaedic and neurological tests, the players will go through an exhausting programme on Thursday and Friday with a series of jumping ability, stamina, vision and balance tests. In spite of that, the group were in high spirits. "Of course, after six weeks on holiday you look forward to coming back here. You somehow miss the team after such a long time," said a cheerful Kevin Volland. „"You know beforehand it will be two physically demanding days but that's all part of it."
The Bender twins and Kevin Volland were followed by the goalkeepers. Rambo Özcan was joined by the two new signings Lukas Hradecky and Thorsten Kirschbaum. Shortly after that came the next newcomer to Bayer 04 in the shape of Mitchell Weiser who completed the tests along with Panos Retsos and Dominik Kohr.
The Brazilian Paulinho will join up with the squad in the middle of July after celebrating his eighteenth birthday. The two players at the World Cup, Tin Jedvaj and Julian Brandt, are expected to return at the end of the month for the training camp in Zell am See-Kaprun. Jedvaj and Croatia face Russia in the quarter-finals on Saturday while Brandt is enjoying a well-deserved break after Germany's exit from the World Cup. The same applies to Jonathan Tah, who was in the initial Germany squad for Russia, and Julian Baumgartlinger plus Aleksandar Dragovic, who were on international duty with Austria after the end of the season.
The fans will have their first chance to see their team on the training ground on Saturday. Head coach Heiko Herrlich will lead the first session of the pre-season at 11.00 CET on training pitches 1 and 2. It will be broadcast in part live on Facebook and at bayer04.de.
Then it's time to get back on the bikes on Sunday. The Werkself are going to complete a three-day ride from Bad Bertrich via Koblenz and Bonn back to Leverkusen. "I can hardly wait," said Lars Bender with a smile, "we've all been measured up so we can have as comfortable a ride as possible with the right frame and, above all, the right saddle."
“School education: a key to success in a sporting career?” – this and other questions relating to dual training in sport, particularly in football, took centre stage at the EDU-DC Conference at the BayArena. The event, held in the Premium Lounge, brought together experts from top clubs and associations from 24 nations, including England, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. Representatives from Bayer 04 and TSV Bayer 04 provided insights into the interplay between school and sport at the Werkself.
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Decision made: Germany will submit a bid to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Munich. The representatives of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) voted for Munich over Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr at their extraordinary meeting in Baden-Baden on Saturday 26 September. Berlin had already withdrawn from the vote a few days earlier.
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Former Werkself star Michael Ballack, who won the German Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing in Leverkusen, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Bayer 04 sends him its best wishes!
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A challenging start to what will hopefully be a long journey: The Bayer 04 women’s team kick off their new DFB Pokal campaign on Sunday (14:00 CEST) against second-division leaders FC Viktoria Berlin. Coach Roberto Pätzold expects stiff resistance in the capital – and is counting on his team’s strong away form in the Bundesliga so far this term.
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