“They were special days. The approach from Bayer 04 was really unexpected. However, I was quickly as keen as mustard – also with the idea of being ‘on loan’. At this point, thanks go to the DFB in particular who quickly made it possible for me to accept this challenge,” said the new Werkself coach, who was the Germany U18 coach up to this point (click HERE for the press release). Hannes Wolf will give up this function at the DFB for the time being as he takes over the helm at the Black and Reds. The coach who secured promotion to the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart: “Now it’s about being successful in the remaining eight games.”
The club management have not ruled out an extension to the contract beyond the summer. Sporting director Simon Rolfes: “We initially focussed on finding the best solution for the these eight weeks. We’ll take our time to see what happens up to the summer and then look at taking the next step.”
The new Werkself head coach found a suitable verbal image: “A season is normally a marathon,” said Wolf. “This is an 800 metre race.”
Wolf will have the support of the veteran coach Peter Hermann as his assistant at Bayer 04. The 69-year-old can look back at 29 years at Leverkusen as a player, assistant and caretaker coach. Wolf on working his future assistant: “I’m very happy with the great depth of his experience. I think it all really goes well together.”
Wolf starts his role at Leverkusen with a clear plan: “We need two things now: The players have to quickly find the energy again to rediscover their ease and strength. And we need a good balance on the pitch between defence and attack. We’ll work on all these things now.” The first training session under the new head coach is set for Wednesday and there will be daily training sessions up to Saturday.
After a short break on Sunday, the start of next week will bring preparations for the Bundesliga home game against Schalke 04 on Sunday 4 April (kick-off: 15.30 CEST). Time enough for Wolf to get to know his new squad. “We’ll set about it with energy but also with caution,” said the new head coach.
As part of the press conference, sporting managing director Rudi Völler and sporting director Simon Rolfes shared their thoughts on Wolf’s predecessor Peter Bosz. The 57-year-old Dutchman started at the Werkself in December 2018 and took them to the Champions League in 2019 and the DFB Cup final in 2020. Völler: “Peter is a great person and coach and nobody doubts his abilities. Even with all our appreciation for him, given the development over the last two and a half months, we the board have come to the conclusion there is no alternative to parting company.”
Sporting director Rolfes added: “I’d like to say a big thank you to Peter Bosz for his work with us. We had a successful time together. Unfortunately, the development and results over the last three months were very disappointing. Therefore, it is essential to make changes. Now we are convinced we have made the right adjustments in the new situation and we can help the team achieve the momentum to reach our targets.”
Kicking off the new season with a fresh look: Bayer 04, in collaboration with sportswear manufacturer New Balance, has unveiled the official kit for Leverkusen’s e-Sports players for the coming season. The jersey is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Paulo Sergio and Bayer 04 have enjoyed close ties since the Werkself training camp in his native Brazil last summer. The club legend is in charge of the Bayer 04 Soccer Academy, which opened in the summer of 2025, and he has also been at this year’s training camp in the Weimarer Land. As well as interacting with the many fans who travelled to the camp, the 1994 World Cup winner used the time to plan the next steps for the Academy together with club officials. In an interview with bayer04.de, Sergio spoke about the project’s future development, the upcoming visit by young Academy players to Leverkusen, and plans for the coming months in Germany and Brazil.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day five (Thursday 6 August) is as follows: The squad have the final open session of the training camp in the morning. After lunch, there will be a team event.
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A round-up of the Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land, all in one place: in our daily blog you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day four (Wednesday 5 August) is all about training. The day begins with a gruelling open training session – new signing Miguel Gutiérrez also takes part. A second session follows in the afternoon, this time behind closed doors.
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At the training camp in the Weimarer Land region, Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez and his long-standing assistant Pol García talk about their first few weeks with the Werkself, their expectations of their own work, the coaching staff and the squad, as well as the style of football they want the team to play. They emphasise the importance of a winning mentality within the team, comment on cultural and personal differences in the world of football, and outline their goals for the coming season...
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