Back
7.09.2022Champions League

The Werkself in Bruges – trip updates

The first European trip in the 2022/23 season takes the Werkself to Belgium. The team under head coach Gerardo Seoane are away to Club Brugge on Wednesday 7 September (kick-off: 21.00 CEST). Join us on the visit to West Flanders as we report from close up to the Werkself.
20220907_JS_CLU_B04_1920.jpg

+++7 September, 23.15 CEST+++

The match at the Jan Breydel Stadium ends with a 1-0 defeat for the Werkself against Club Brugge (HERE is the match report). Reaction to the opening game in the Champions League will be shown on Werkself TV. We wish everybody who travelled with us to Bruges a safe journey home.

crop_20220907_JS_CLU_B04_1794.jpg

+++7 September, 18.02 CEST+++

The Youth League opener is over. Our U19 team got off to a flying start against Club Brugge with Zidan Sertdemir netting the first goal. The team under head coach Sven Hübscher then conceded four goals with the first fixture of the European campaign in 2022/23 ending in a 4-1 defeat. 890 spectators watched the game in Roeselare, including Fernando Carro, Simon Rolfes and Rudi Völler. The Black and Red U19 players now head home to Leverkusen on the team bus. Have a safe journey, lads.

+++7 September, 15.51 CEST+++

As a taster ahead of this evening's Champions League game, Werkself TV is broadcasting the match between our U19 team and Club Brugge in the UEFA Youth League. The kick-off is at 16.00 CEST and the live stream is HERE.

+++7 September, 10.10 CEST+++

The Werkself are about to set off on the team bus for the warm-up session at the Jan Breydel Stadium. A suitable point in time to provide some information on today's venue: The stadium was opened in 1975 and has a capacity of 29,000. The ground is named after Jan Breydel one of the leaders of the Bruges matins – a bloody rebellion against the French King Philip IV at the start of the 14th century.

 

20220903_JS_CLU_B04_MD1_0735.jpg

+++7 September, 8.27 CEST+++

Good morning from Bruges. The first players are at breakfast and we take a quick look at today's agenda: There is a warm-up session at 11 o'clock, followed by lunch, the team meeting plus the pre-match meal. The kick-off at the Jan Breydel Stadium is at 21.00 CEST..

+++6 September, 18.57 CEST+++

Our lads have inspected the pitch at the Jan Breydel Stadium and now they are off to the team hotel in the best of moods and with great anticipation ahead of tomorrow's match with the evening meal the last agenda item on the day of arrival. Lukas Hradecky and Co. will than have time to chill out.

 

crop_20220903_JS_CLU_B04_MD1_0751.jpg

+++6 September, 17.11 CEST+++

The arrival of the Werkself is gradually drawing to a close. In around 30 minutes, the destination of the Jan Breydel Stadium will have been reached. The pre-match press conference with head coach Gerardo Seoane and Robert Andrich will start in about an hour. The statements from the duo will appear later on our channels.

+++6 September, 15.50 CEST+++

The following 21 Werkself players are on the team bus: Lukas Hradecky, Niklas Lomb, Maximilian Neutgens (all goalkeepers), Piero Hincapie, Jonathan Tah, Mitchel Bakker, Odilon Kossounou, Paulinho, Robert Andrich, Sardar Azmoun, Kerem Demirbay, Nadiem Amiri, Edmond Tapsoba, Patrik Schick, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Moussa Diaby, Charles Aránguiz, Adam Hlozek, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Exequiel Palacios and Jeremie Frimpong.

crop_20220903_JS_CLU_B04_MD1_0629.jpg

+++6 September, 13.37 CEST+++

Training and lunch are over and the Bayer 04 group set off a few minutes ago. Lukas Hradecky and Co. face a three and a half hour journey on the team bus with the first stop at the Jan Breydel Stadium of Club Brugge. Have a good trip, everybody.

+++6 September, 11.02 CEST+++

The final pre-match training session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium is underway. Three goalkeepers and 19 outfield players are taking part – of course, with the new UEFA Champions League balls at their feet...

 

20220903_JS_Training_0374.jpg

+++ 6 September, 10.17 CEST+++

The Werkself meet up for the final session at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 11.00 CEST ahead of the away game in the Champions League. The Black and Red group will then head off by coach to West Flanders. On the agenda in the evening is a view of the pitch and the press conference at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

+++6 September, 09.34 CEST+++

The Werkself are back in the UEFA Champions League: After a break of two years, the Werkself are away to Club Brugge tomorrow night in the first group match. The kick-off at the Jan Breydel Stadium is at 21.00 CEST.

Related News

Carles Martínez Novell
Bayer 04 - 04.06.2026

Carles Martínez Novell is new Bayer 04 head coach

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.

Show more
Carles Martínez Novell
Bayer 04 - 04.06.2026

Profile of Bayer 04 head coach Carles Martínez Novell

Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.

Show more
Sommerfahrplan
Bayer 04 - 04.06.2026

2026/27 summer timetable: season opener against Sevilla - friendlies in Germany

Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.

Show more
Konstantinos_Kotsifakis.jpg
Bayer 04 - 03.06.2026

Konstantinos Kotsifakis set for assistant coach role with Bayer 04 U19s

Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.

Show more
BayArena
Bayer 04 - 03.06.2026

Runner-up for Pitch of the Year: Bayer 04 again recognised for outstanding pitch quality

Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.

Show more