Schmidt was again asked about the incident with Julian Nagelsmann during Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Hoffenheim when he spoke to the media at Monday’s press conference at the BayArena. “I have already talked about that and apologised to my fellow coach,” said Schmidt: “Now, I’ll wait for the verdict and focus on leading a good final pre-match training session.”
The Werkself are keen to show what they are made of in the DFB Cup. Bayer 04 played Lotte in the first round of the cup last season – when they were a Regional League side – and ran out 3-0 winners. Schmidt and his men will be looking for a similar success tomorrow. However, the coach knows it will not be a walk in the park. “Lotte have started the season well. Last season the pitch was no carpet and then you’ve got the floodlights on top of that. We’re expecting a real cup atmosphere,” said the coach 3:0.
He will be without the services of captain Lars Bender as well as Ömer Toprak after both picked up slight muscle injuries against Hoffenheim, “we hope they will be available for Saturday, “said Schmidt. On top of that, youngsters Julian Brandt and Benjamin Henrichs are both rested after playing so many games in recent weeks and they will not be in the squad.
A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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Bayer 04 produced a dominant and impressive 4-0 win over Union Berlin as they picked up three points in their first home game of the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign. Exequiel Fernández opened the scoring after only 41 seconds, with Facundo Medina doubling the lead before the half-hour mark. Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza continued the procession in the second period, in which Moussa Diaby came on for his first Leverkusen appearance for over three years.
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