The new head coach gained important first impressions of his new team during the first session. "It's good I've got a couple of days before the next game," said Korkut: "I want to use them to get a feeling for the team." The second session held on Tuesday afternoon was behind closed doors.
Krösche and Wolf leave Bayer 04
The new boss was accompanied by his assistant Xaver Zembrod who was his number two at Hannover 96 and FC Kaiserslautern. The 50-year-old joined the coaching staff on Monday. Bayer 04 have parted company with Roger Schmidt as well as his assistant coach Markus Krösche and Jörn Wolf, the coordinator of the coaching and support staff.
Bellarabi shirt for the football museum
The next training session at the BayArena is on Wednesday (10.00 CET) and is open to the public. In the afternoon, CEO Michael Schade will present the shirt worn by Karim Bellarabi, when he scored the 50,000th goal in the history of the Bundesliga, to the German Football Museum in Dortmund.
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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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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