
Peter Bosz and his fellow coaches certainly put the players through their paces – four days before the home game against the relegation – threatened Franconians there was a highly intensive session on the agenda. Split into teams of three, there were plenty of high tempo encounters with lots of shots on goal on small sized pitches. The Werkself were certainly warmed up with outdoor temperatures of 15 degrees.
On Tuesday, Kevin Volland and Lars Bender joined the training group later that also included three U19 players Adrian Stanilewicz, Herdi Bukusu and Marc Lamti. The duo started with an individual session on the ball on the neighbouring pitch before they rejoined their teammates for the last part of the session. Leon Bailey worked in the gym at the BayArena to lighten his workload. Isaac Kiese Thelin did not make the session. The Sweden striker complained of muscle problems in his calf and therefore missed out on the morning workout.
While the action was on the training ground in the morning, it moved inside in the early afternoon. As part of the Bayer 04 Soccer School Easter camp there was a player visit and a tour of the stadium. After lunch, Panos Retsos was in the media centre at the BayArena where he completed a Q & A session with the kids. In a somewhat unorthodox interview, the 20-year-old revealed his favourite club, spoke about his favourite book and with which players in the squad he spends most of his free time with. At the end, the Werkself number three signed autographs and had selfies taken with the camp participants. To the great surprise for a section of the kids on the stadium tour, they bumped into Wendell, Karim Bellarabi and head coach Peter Bosz in the Mixed Zone. All three were happy to mix with the fans and meet their desire for selfies. Up to Thursday, over 100 young female and male players will complete different technical and tactical training sessions at the Soccer Centor Leverkusen (for those born from 2010 to 2012) and at Kurtekotten (2005 to 2009). The club has also organised a four-day camp for the second week of the holidays.








The Bayer 04 U19s have a competitive match tonight. At 19.00 CET the team coached by Markus von Ahlen face Bonner SC in Bonn (Sportpark Nord, artificial pitch on Josefshöhe) in the quarter-finals of the Association Cup against the team from a tier below, currently lying seventh in the Middle Rhine League. After a disappointing 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened SC Paderborn in the U19 Bundesliga on Saturday, the Bayer 04 Youth team are now determined to do all they can to reach the semi-finals. Markus von Ahlen is unable to call on the young pro Jan Boller as he has been away in Lower Saxony since Sunday for a session with the Germany U19s in Barsinghausen.


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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