Julian Baumgartlinger and Vlad Yurchenko, who were due to play World Cup qualifiers for their national sides the night before, are expected back on Thursday. Coach Heiko Herrlich misses two players due to injury as he prepares for the third Bundesliga matchday: Tin Jedvaj is in rehab after suffering a hairline fracture to his shin. And new signing Panos Retsos, who arrived in Leverkusen on Tuesday, is working on his own in the Werkstatt as he recovers from a blow to his right knee playing for his country.
Retsos had to miss the first session with his new team-mates. Instead he took time out in the afternoon to face questions from members of the written and radio media. The 19-year-old commented…
...on his decision to join Bayer 04:
"It's a great honour for me to play for a club like Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The club has always played in the Champions League in recent years and is one of the big clubs. It was important for me and my development to take the next step at a club like this. I spoke to Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Konstantinos Stafylidis (former Bayer 04 players) to find out more about Bayer 04. Papa only had good things to say and he told me it's like a family here and the club places great value in young players. That was very important for me and it encouraged me a lot."
...on the Bundesliga:
"The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world. I'm really happy I can play here in spite of my young age. After the Bundesliga players Papadopoulos (Hamburg SV), Staflidis (FC Augsburg) and Sokratis (Borussia Dortmund) told me about the league when they were with the national team, I definitely wanted to come here."
...on his favourite position:
"I played in several positions at Olympiakos last season. It wasn't that easy. For me personally and for my development the most important thing is to play regularly – it doesn't matter whether it’s in the centre or the right at the back or in holding midfield. I feel most at home in central defence but I don't have any problem with playing at left back. The main thing is I can get to play.
...on possible selection for Saturday:
"I took a blow to the right knee in the World Cup qualifier against Estonia. It's not a bad injury but after talking to the doctors we didn't want to take any risks so I’ve eased off for a couple of days. That's why I worked on my own in the gym today but I hope to back with the rest of the team in the next few days. We'll have to see if that will be enough for Saturday’s game against Mainz."
...on leaving Greece:
"The last training sessions with my old team-mates at Olympiakos and the farewell were sad moments for me – I'd spent ten or eleven years at the club. And the day I flew out was very emotional: A lot of my friends were at the airport to say goodbye. But along with the tears there were a whole load of happy feelings because I very much looked forward to taking the next step and moving to Leverkusen."
...on his first impressions at Bayer 04:
My first impressions have been fantastic: The stadium is great and the same applies to the different training facilities. Even though the facilities at Olympiakos were very good, it's a completely different level here."
...on his targets:
"I'd like to become a better player – at Bayer 04 I'll be playing with very good team-mates and in the Bundesliga I'll be up against other top players. I want to take the next step here and I hope I'll develop into a leading player."
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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