After two and a half weeks training at home following individual plans and the start of working in small groups at the BayArena on 1 April, the head coach welcomed his team back as a group to the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. With the exception of Kevin Volland, who is in rehab training following an ankle injury, all the first-team players were back on the pitch.
The Werkself now have just over a week to prepare for the first game away to Werder Bremen on Monday 18 May with a 20.30 CET kick-off. Over the next few days it will be about getting back up to speed as quickly as possible and, above all, to gather strength for the busy fixture programme facing the teams in the Bundesliga.
"It feels good to be able to complete a normal full training session. And these sessions are important to get back in a competitive frame of mind," said Jonathan Tah. "I welcome the fact the games are starting again next week. Now we have a concrete target we can work to. Excitement is increasing and motivation is high."
The Germany international is not yet ready to talk about normality. "We're tested regularly. And we answer questions on our state of health every morning. And the regulations relating to hygiene and distancing our ever-present. We're very aware that it's a special situation and that we carry a special responsibility as professional footballers. The politicians have given us the privilege of being able to complete the season. We have to, and want to, justify that through discipline and level-headed behaviour."
Images from today's full training session:
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 4-0 win against Union Berlin on Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...
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Bayer 04 have been handed a home tie in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal after being paired with Nürnberg in Saturday evening’s draw at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Games will be played on 27/28 October, with the German FA to confirm kick-off times in due course.
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