Werkself return to training ground: First session under Carles Martínez

Beaming with joy, Arthur was the first player to step onto the pitch. Shortly afterwards, the coaching team led by Carles Martínez welcomed the other players and youth players to their first joint session. After a brief – and, with temperatures above 30 degrees, welcome – cool-down under the sprinklers, the Werkself got straight down to business in front of Fernando Carro, CEO, Simon Rolfes, Managing Director Sport, Kim Falkenberg, Director of Football, and the many fans.

an Intense start for Tapsoba and Co.

Alongside numerous familiar faces such as Edmond Tapsoba, Robert Andrich and Aleix Garcia, five youth players from the U19  squad also took part: Osman Turay, Jonah Berghoff, Jeremiah Mensah,Dustin Buck and goalkeeper Simeon Rapsch. New signing Kennet Eichhorn, however, was not on the pitch due to a personal commitment in Berlin, nor were Leverkusen’s World Cup participants, including semi-finalists Exequiel Palacios and Jarell Quansah. Argentina and England go head-to-head on Wednesday evening at 21:00 CEST.

Martínez: "we want to plAY WITH Intensity, passion and Precision"

Following his first training session at Bayer 04, Martínez was visibly delighted when speaking to the media: “It was great to finally be out on the pitch with the players and to interact with the fans after training.” Looking ahead to the first few sessions, the Spaniard is focusing on “laying important foundations. We want to play with intensity, passion and precision from day one. We need to internalise that so we can draw on it at any time.” His coaching style is also geared to that aim: “I’m a very passionate person and that’s how I communicate with my team.”

Martínez also said, when asked about the current Werkself squad: “Every player here has the potential to make his mark and earn a place in the starting eleven. It’s up to us coaches to provide the lads with an environment where they can perform to their full potential.” The 42-year-old emphasised that the positive and very close-knit atmosphere at the club also helps in this regard: “Bayer 04 has the highest quality, including the staff. In football, success depends on how well everyone works together and gets on – players, coaches and staff. And that really works very well here.”

Tella: "exactly what we need as a young team"

Nathan Tella also addressed the media with great anticipation: “It’s really exciting to be out on the pitch with the new coaching team and some new team-mates. I’m really delighted to finally be back.” The winger’s first impression of Martínez was extremely positive: “He’s very communicative and clear in the way he speaks. That means he tells us exactly what he expects from us on the pitch. That’s exactly what we need as a young team. You can already sense a good connection.”

The 27-year-old himself was able to “recharge his batteries during the summer break and get back to full fitness after his injury. Now I want to stay injury-free and, of course, deliver consistently good performances. There’s a lot of competition within the team, but that also ensures that everyone wants to do their very best. That will do us good.”

next up: first friendly on saturday against Baumberg

The Werkself’s first friendly is at the end of this opening week. They face Oberliga side Sportfreunde Baumberg in Monheim am Rhein on Saturday, 18 July (kick-off: 15:30 CEST).