Fernando Carro, Bayer 04 CEO, plus head coach Gerardo Seoane and captain Lukas Hradecky first listened to friendly words from the hosts on the third deck of the MS Schmitten: Yvonne Rosenstatter (Area director in marketing management at SalzburgerLand) and Renate Ecker (Director of tourism, Zell am See-Kaprun) were proud of another visit from the Champions League participants.
"Salzburger Land provides outstanding conditions for different sports – including football," said Rosenstatter. "We are therefore very proud of the active and familiar partnership with Bayer 04 that is already ten years old." Ecker also highlighted the "solid partnership, with the Werkself and spoke about "meeting up as friends."
"It's clear that it's really great to be here under these circumstances," added Fernando Carro against the mountain backdrop around Zeller See. "The coaching staff know the local area and facilities well from last year. That was a big advantage in our advanced planning."
And head coach Gerardo Seoane also looked very impressed with the facilities. The Swiss coach not only praised the training set-up at the Alois Latini Stadium and the accommodation – the Hotel Tauern Spa – but also the wide range of options in the area. The Werkself have taken part in a bike tour, played beach volleyball, tried out stand-up paddle boarding on Zeller See. And the culinary delights of Austrian cuisine were discovered with an evening meal at a restaurant in Zell am See-Kaprun. "This training camp gives us the opportunity to get to know each other as a group in a completely different way," said Seoane. "That strengthens team spirit in the long run."
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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