Kyriakos, you return to your old stomping ground the BayArena on Sunday. How does it feel?
Kyriakos Papadopoulos: I always enjoyed a really good relationship with Bayer 04. It's great there were no problems between Leverkusen and myself when I signed for HSV. I have happy memories of my time at Bayer 04.
Are you still in contact with Bayer 04?
Papadopoulos: I had two great years at Leverkusen and I'm looking forward to meeting up with my old team-mates. The people in and around the club all do a great job. I also have regular contact with a lot of my former team-mates.
What was your best moment in a Werkself shirt?
Papadopoulos: I particularly remember the games in the Champions League. Above all, I'll never forget the match in Barcelona. We were unlucky to lose 2-1 but we took the lead with a header of mind. The atmosphere at the Camp Nou was very special.
The Werkself have recently signed a fellow countrymen of yours in Panos Retsos. He said he spoke to you about Bayer 04. Why is Bayer 04 a good club for him?
Papadopoulos: Panos is a young, very talented player who wants to take the next step in his development. I told him the Bundesliga is the ideal place for that. Bayer 04 have shown over the last few years that they can develop young players and give them the necessary match practice.
What's your assessment of the start of the season for Hamburg SV?
Papadopoulos: We started the season well with two wins but then didn't play well against Hannover. But the team’s in good shape. We put on a good display in the games against Leipzig and Dortmund in spite of the defeats. We're in positive mood going forward.
What sort of game are you expecting at the BayArena on Sunday?
Papadopoulos: There were a lot of changes at Bayer 04 in the summer and the team hasn't got off to the best start in the new season so they will definitely be looking to win at home. We also want to get a result in Leverkusen. We can do that if we play like we did in the last games against Augsburg, Köln, Leipzig and Dortmund.
The Nerazzurri are in town: Today, Tuesday 10 December, Bayer 04 entertain the reigning champions of Italy Inter Milan on Matchday 6 in the UEFA Champions League (kick-off: 21.00 CET/live on DAZN and on Werkself Radio). Read on for the latest information on the home game at the BayArena.
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The Bayer 04 U19 team lost 1-0 to Inter Milan on the sixth and final matchday in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League 2024/25. The only goal of the game was scored just after the hour mark. While the side from North Italy have finished top in the league phase with a maximum points return, the Leverkusen team appeared to have just missed out on the knockout stages of the European competition. There is faint hope looking to several games to follow where results are needed to go the way of the Werkself.
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Italian teams are known for being strong in defence. The fact that Inter Milan, the next opponents for the Werkself in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, 10 December (kick-off: 20.45 CET), have not conceded a single goal in their last five matches is impressive. Will the visitors' keeper Yann Sommer be able to keep a clean sheet at the BayArena against Florian Wirtz and Co.? The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The Werkself are away to Borussia Dortmund on Bundesliga Matchday 16. The game at the Signal Iduna Park on Friday, 10 January 2025, kicks off at 20.30 CET. Read on for information on ticket sales.
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