The cheerful left back shows no sign of sadness now. Quite the opposite: Wendell quickly came to terms with his situation and is now working hard to make a comeback as soon as possible.
And that might happen soon. The talented Brazilian missed out on the previous friendlies but has been busy on the training ground in every session at the Werkself training camp in Austria. “I’m incredibly happy to be back,” he said with his eyes lighting up like a young child at Christmas: “I feel really good again. Simply muito bem!”
It was a different story straight after the injury. Understandable given Wendell missed the Bundesliga run-in. “I needed a couple of days, ” he admitted. But the Brazilian was able to count on the support of his family. Not just his wife and child living with him in the Rhineland but also on his parents who flew over straight away from Brazil to look after their youngest. Wendell had intended to visit them before the Olympic Games but his focus was on rehab so he stayed in Leverkusen.
No holiday but all the sacrifice has paid off. Wendell wants to be back to his best for the start of the season. “So we can have as much fun and success as a team just like last season,” he said. Until then he will watch the matches at the Olympic Games on the television and Wendell is already looking forward to a Final between Germany, with Lars Bender and Julian Brandt, and Brazil with his Brazilian friends including Neymar. And who does he want to win? “A difficult question but perhaps a win for us Brazilians would be a bit more important.”
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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