After days off at the start of the week as a reward for successful qualification for the Champions League, his team “were focused and in good mood in training,” as Gerardo Seoane explained on Friday afternoon. The Swiss coach is full of anticipation: “It’s our last game of the season, the atmosphere will be great – I feel everybody is really keen to play tomorrow.”
And the target is clear: a win – for the fans but also for Rudi Völler. The Hanau-born former Germany international joined Leverkusen as player in 1994 and he went on to become caretaker coach, sporting director and most recently the Bayer 04 sporting managing director. The 43-year-old coach was full of praise for the 62-year-old: “We have all benefited from Rudi’s experience and know-how and we what he has done for Bayer 04 and German football. We are very happy he will stay on in another role and we wish him all the best.” After this season, Völler will join the shareholders committee at the club and also be a Bayer 04 ambassador.
While the Werkself are certain of finishing third, Freiburg in fifth place, with a two-point gap to RB Leipzig (away to Bielefeld) in fourth, are still in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League. “They are at the top end of the table for a reason and have absolutely deserved to qualify for Europe,” declared Seoane who primarily highlighted the strength of tomorrow’s opponents from set pieces.
Tomorrow’s game will also be the final game for Werkself player Julian Baumgartlinger. The now 34-year-old midfielder joined Bayer 04 from Mainz 05 six years ago and he went on to make over 150 appearances for the Black and Reds. Seoane said Baumi would play against SCF and he thanked him for his commitment in a Werkself shirt: “We are all very grateful to have such a player and person in our ranks. Even though he’s had a lot of bad luck with injuries this season he was always close the team and, above all, he was ready to help young players at all times. We really wish him a good future and hope he will stay fit and healthy.”
Kerem Demirbay is definitely ruled out through injury. Jeremie Frimpong is also not in the squad. “It’s come too early for him,” said Seoane who is thinking about possible changes in his line-up but he was unwilling to share his ideas at the press conference.
A new look and new kit supplier for the 2025/26 campaign: Bayer 04 in tandem with sports equipment manufacturer New Balance present the official kit for the Leverkusen eSports players the coming season. New partner Sinology appears on the top right of the jersey. Menswear outfitters Lerros is still the main eSports sponsor and Niedax remains the sleeve partner. The jersey is available now from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt.
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Bosnia U19 international Kerim Alajbegovic is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen's youth set-up to Red Bull Salzburg. The talented attacking midfielder has signed a long-term contract with the Austrian club. At the same time, the works club secured a buy-back option for the 17-year-old, who was one of the mainstays of the Leverkusen U19s.
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Preparations for the 2025/26 season at Bayer 04 start next Monday, 7 July, with the first team and youth players training together. Without the international players who were involved with their national teams at the end of last season, new head coach Erik ten Hag will welcome a group of senior and youth players to the first open training session one week ahead of the departure to the training camp in Rio de Janeiro. After the official welcome in the dressing room, the Werkself players will start the session in the shadow of the BayArena on 7 July at 14:00 CEST.
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The Werkself are away to Premier League club Chelsea in the final pre-season friendly. The game against the current holders of the UEFA Conference League is on Friday, 8 August at Stamford Bridge with the kick-off at 20:00 CEST. Read on for information on ticket sales.
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