Brilliant weather for starters: The Werkself began the pre-season on the training ground in fantastic sunshine. After the not necessarily popular performance tests, head coach Heiko Herrlich led the first session on the pitch with his players on Saturday. The results of the medical tests of the past two days met with the approval of the coach. "The results of the tests show an improvement on last year. Everybody followed their exercise programme during the summer break and we're in a good position for the challenges facing us," said Herrlich.
Charles Aránguiz was missing as were Tin Jedvaj, who is in the Croatia squad for tonight's World Cup quarter final against Russia, Julian Brandt, Jonathan Tah, Julian Baumgartlinger, Aleksandar Dragovic (all on extended leave) plus new signing Paulinho (expected after his eighteenth birthday in the middle of July). "He's had a few minor problems with his knee for a while so we have to be careful and be cautious. He won't do the bike ride but instead undergo treatment here," said Herrlich in relation to the Chilean. Wendell ended the session earlier than his team-mates – and the management stuck to the same approach: Don't take any risks at the start of the pre-season.
The other players clearly enjoyed the 90-minute session with technical drills on finishing to the fore and were happy to be back on the ball with their team-mates – eagerly observed by about 200 fans who made sure they did not miss the first Werkself public appearance in the 2018/19 . And sporting director Jonas Boldt and the new video analyst Marcel Daum also took a keen interest in proceedings. The top performer was Kai Havertz.
The U19 players Tomasz Kucz, Jakub Bednarczyk, Sam Schreck and Chinedu Ekene were among the 16 outfield players and four goalkeepers on the training ground and they will be part of the Werkself first team squad in the coming campaign. The two keepers Lukas Hradecky and Thorsten Kirschbaum made their first appearance in a Bayer 04 shirt as did Mitchell Weiser, new signing from Hertha Berlin, with all three obviously the focus of attention fur autographs and selfies. "I've been really well received here and they're a great group," said Weiser after his first days with the Werkself.
Following the session on Saturday, the Werkself head to Bad Bertrich in the southern part of the Eifel, where the three-day bike ride starts on Sunday morning. The trip involves three stages via Koblenz and Bonn before returning to the BayArena. "It's not crossing the Alps but it will be a good workout," declared the Bayer 04 coach, who believes in the merit of the bike ride as it spares the players'joints.
The next open training session for the Werkself is on Friday at 16.00 CET.
Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
Show moreTo all Bayer 04 fans: The Fanwelt will be closed all day next Monday 30 June. This is due to preparations for the change of kit supplier from Castore to New Balance on Tuesday 1 July.
Show moreThe Norway U23 international Julie Jorde has completed the move from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Brøndby IF. The twelve-time champions of Denmark have signed the midfielder on permanent terms after her loan move from the Bundesliga to Denmark in the winter.
Show moreIt is almost two years since Bayer 04 new signing Abdoulaye Faye first stepped foot into the BayArena as a player for the Swedish club BK Häcken in the opening match in the 2023/24 Europa League campaign. A day before his nineteenth birthday, the central defender did not play in the 4-0 win for the Werkself but it was "an incredible night" for him on 21 September 2023 as he explained in his first interview on bayer04.de. "I watched the players and saw the fans. I liked it." It was also the first European night early on in his career. He only joined the then champions of Sweden in the cold north of Europe from his home in Senegal a few weeks before that special moment. Bayer04.de profiles our new defender.
Show moreWelcome, Abdoulaye Faye. The 20-year-old Senegalese central defender joins Leverkusen from top-flight Swedish club BK Häcken. In his first interview he talks about his move to Bayer 04 and his targets with the Werkself.
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