“I love this competition. The cup is great,” Hjulmand beamed at his pre-match press conference. “We’re ready and want to do all we can to reach the semi-finals,” he added. When asked about being favourites to progress, the Dane responded, “I haven’t thought about it. I’ve got too much respect for our opponent. They made things tough for us in the league meeting, but we need to play our game tomorrow and show our identity.”
Hjulmand also had a smile when he replied to questions about potentially winning the trophy. “My children always ask: What have you won? And we’ve got a big chance here. It’s just three more wins. That’s a big motivation for the team and the club,” the 53-year-old stated.
He later spoke positively about his players attitude, always looking at “what they can improve. We’re not fully pleased with a win and not devasted by a defeat. We always focus on the performance.”
“He won’t play tomorrow but should be back for Saturday, if things go well,” Hjulmand explained of Ibrahim Maza. Apart from him, Nathan Tella, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Mark Flekken, the whole squad is fit and ready.
In addition, the coach talked about options on the right. “Arthur played extremely well in Frankfurt. So too did Lucas Vázquez against Villarreal and Bremen. One has good pace, the other has experience and game intelligence.” Given the packed fixture list this month, he’s pleased to have such good options at his disposal. “We’ve got lots of games in a short space of time. We need every player.”
Exciting experiences and exclusive insights into the Werkself and the BayArena awaited the young footballers from the BA04 Football Academy Guangzhou in China during their visit to the Rhineland this week. As well as taking part in a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy, the youngsters marvelled at the Bundesliga club’s stadium during a guided tour. The highlight of the visit was a private press conference with former Bayer 04 striker Stefan Kießling, during which he shared tips from his own career with the young players. On Saturday afternoon, 10 October, the group will round off their visit by supporting the Werkself in the away match in Mainz.
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Fun, games and promising talent: At the fourth Bayer 04 Junior Girls’ Talent Day at the Kurtekotten training centre, 90 football-mad girls had the chance to put themselves forward for the Werkself youth teams. During a 90-minute training session, children born between 2011 and 2019 had the chance to demonstrate their skills.
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Despite the international break, numerous Werkself fans turned up at the BayArena on Saturday 3 October. The occasion: Bayer 04, together with Bayer Vital and main sponsor BarmeniaGothaer, organised a Health Day. In the stadium’s Premium Lounge, guests listened to fascinating talks on the subject of cancer, featuring, amongst others, Bayer 04 record appearance holder Rüdiger Vollborn and former Werkself player Hans Sarpei. Afterwards, young and old alike enjoyed interactive stations such as a grip strength test and eye pupil test.
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In issue #56 of Werkself Magazine, Afonso Moreira offers some interesting insights into his home country, Portugal, as part of the ‘Sag mal’ (Tell me) feature. Among other things, the 21-year-old talks about his favourite places in the country on the Iberian Peninsula, the local cuisine and music, as well as heroes and historical figures beyond the world of football. ‘Sag mal’ with Afonso Moreira!
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