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.”
Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
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A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
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Former Bundesliga and Germany keeper Manfred Manglitz, who was promoted to the Oberliga West with Bayer 04 in 1962, passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
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Justine Brandau and Lobke Loonen joined the Bayer 04 Women’s squad in quick succession this summer. The two Dutch players have been friends since their youth days, and are now playing for the same club for the first time. In an interview at the training camp in Rieden, Brandau and Loonen talk, amongst other things, about their experiences as opponents in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the dynamic within their new team and their first few weeks in Leverkusen.
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