Josip Stanisic on…
…his first days in Leverkusen: After the signing on Sunday, I trained on my own on Monday because the squad had the day off. Today I was finally on the pitch with the lads for the first time. It was a great feeling – even though I completed some parts of the session on my own. But that's normal in a first training session particularly as I hadn't done anything for three days due to the talks around my move. But what I saw in such a short space of time: Here everybody is really into their football and is highly motivated.
…the reasons for his decision to sign for Bayer 04: The club showed great interest in me and they definitely wanted to have me. That really impressed me. On top of that, the playing style of the team and the game idea of the coach both suit me. The development here over the last few months has been really impressive and it struck me as extremely positive even from a few hundred kilometres away.
…his favoured position: I prefer playing at the back on the right rather than on the left but that's not a secret. But I can play on the right side of central defence in a back three or a back five. But for me in general: I play where the coach puts me in and where I can best help the team.
…competition at Bayer Leverkusen: The lads played really well against Leipzig and, of course, they justifiably have a certain advantage through that. But I will give my all from the first day to fight my way into the team as quickly as possible. I hope to get a lot of playing time not least because of all the games in three competitions over the course of the season. But the most important thing first is to build on the good start and carry on winning. To do that we have to remain calm, work hard and take it game by game. We can achieve a lot if we can do that..
…his recollection of the 2-1 defeat with FC Bayern at the BayArena in the middle of March: The match definitely impressed me most from my games in Leverkusen – and it wasn't a good one from a Bayern perspective. The atmosphere at the stadium was incredibly good, I was very surprised. That's why I can't wait to play in front of this crowd.
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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