
And a decision was also reached in relationship to the Champions League and the Europa League. Both competitions, currently paused, remain suspended until further notice.
Rudi Völler, Bayer 04 sporting managing director, welcomed the UEFA decision: “The postponement of EURO 2020 by a year is absolutely appropriate and sensible. That gives national leagues the time and opportunity for all of them to complete their competitions in a fair and equitable fashion. With this sound decision by UEFA, clubs plus national and international associations – always taking into account the prevailing health scenario – have been given the necessary room for manoeuvre with current competitions. Bayer 04 Leverkusen will now face the big challenges posed by coronavirus with greater resolve, do everything to protect players and members of staff and beyond that, in co-operation with all the other clubs, work to bring the season to a successful conclusion.”
And Lukas Hradecky, the Werkself and Finland goalkeeper, fully understands today’s decision: “We Finns have been waiting 80 years to get to the finals of a major football tournament. So a couple of months won’t make much difference to my Euro dream coning true. Of course, health comes first. Don’t forget: It’s also a chance for players ruled out by serious injuries to be able to take part.”

In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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