
In preparation for the first pre-season friendly against Wuppertaler SV on Saturday (17.00 CET, live on Bayer 04, Facebook and YouTube), head coach Peter Bosz included eight Werkself youth players - Ayman Azhil, Kevin Bukusu, Yannik Schlösser, Adrian Stanilewicz, Cem Tuna-Türkmen, Samed Onur and Marco Wolf plus keeper Marcel Lotka - in today's training session – in part because the international players are only due to return to the club on Sunday after the internationals in early June.
One international was back in Leverkusen in the middle of the week: Aleksandar Dragovic. After the minor muscle injury the 28-year-old suffered in the 4-1 win for Austria against North Macedonia, he completed an individual session with fitness coach Daniel Jouvin and physiotherapist Sven Elsinger on a neighbouring pitch.


The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
Show more
Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
Show more
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. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
Show more
“Say hello to the Werkself!” – With this request, Loïc Bade gathers everybody in front of his GoPro: Including team-mates like Ibrahim Maza, Lucas Vázquez, Aleix Garcia and Ernest Poku, or Bayer 04 CEO Fernando Carro, head coach Carles Martínez, or even the reception team at the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land. In between, there are glimpses of the pool area and the Werkself’s team quarters. Enjoy!
Show more