Werkself start training ahead of league opener – Tapsoba: ‘Play our game’ in Elversberg

As usual, the session led by coach Carles Martínez with his team was intense. The fans in attendance watched the midday training session in ideal conditions, with pleasant temperatures of around 22 degrees. Although the sun only made a few brief appearances through the overcast sky, the youngest Bayer 04 fans in particular were beaming all the more as the players eagerly signed autographs after training and, as usual, took plenty of time out for selfies too.

Tapsoba: "my heart and MY mind are with bayer 04"

After the training session, Edmond Tapsoba spoke to the media, commenting, amongst other things, on his appointment as the new captain: “It’s brilliant to be able to captain this fantastic team. The club is like a family to me. I’ll continue to do my best to help the young players, integrate them into the team and, in doing so, foster a sense of family amongst each and every one of them.”

The 27-year-old revealed he had discussed the captaincy issue with, amongst others, his friend and long-standing team-mate Jonathan Tah (who played for Bayer 04 from 2015 to 2025): “Jona told me this is a good and fitting moment for me. I’ve grown a great deal in my six-and-a-half years here – as a player and as a person. I now want to take the next step forward. My heart and my mind are wholly with Bayer 04.”

Speaking about their next opponents, who Tapsoba faced with some of his current team-mates faced in the DFB Pokal in both 2022 and 2024 – the skipper said: “It will be their first Bundesliga match – Elversberg will give their all. We’ll therefore need to be even more vigilant, particularly in the early stages of the match. We want to build on our strong performances in pre-season and play our own game.”

with WERKSELFgo to Elversberg

Don’t want to travel to Elversberg on your own, or do you still have spare seats in your car? Then start using the new official Bayer 04 car share platform, WERKSELFgo, today! Simply sign up for free using your Bayer 04 account and find or offer a lift to the match. Click HERE for WERKSELFgo!