Back
15.03.2023Europa League

Hradecky ahead of #FTCB04: Be humble and work hard

The Werkself visit the Hungarian capital one week after the 2-0 home win against Ferencváros in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16 tie with eyes focused on the target of reaching the quarter-finals. Head coach Xabi Alonso and captain Lukas Hradecky talked at the pre-match press conference ahead of the game on Thursday 16 March (kick-off: 21.00 CET) about the situation in the tie and the great football euphoria in Hungary – which goalkeeper Hradecky is very familiar with.

Display videos

Yes, I'd like to see videos dispalyed.

The Werkself had just three days to recover after the energy-sapping 3-2 away win at Werder Bremen. Head coach Xabi Alonso declared at the pre-match press conference that his team has "good energy" in spite of that.

Not just the energy but also the mood within his team gives the Spaniard confidence looking at the second leg against the Hungarian record champions and record cup winners. Alonso added: "We are ready for the game and looking forward to this European night with a great atmosphere!"

over 65,000 Fans in the stands

The Werkself play Ferencváros on Thursday night at the Puskas Arena, Hungary's national stadium. The biggest ground in the land, opened in 2019 and also the venue for this year's Europa League final, has a capacity of over 65,000 and will be very close to being sold out on Thursday night.

crop_20230315_JS_FTC_B04_MD1_0693.jpg

One person who is very familiar with the football euphoria in Hungary is Lukas Hradecky. The Werkself captain has played in Budapest several times in the past with the Finnish national team: "I know the Hungarian fans, they support their teams from the first minute. There will be a really good atmosphere and it will be a great experience!"

The situation ahead of the second leg is better compared with the play-off against AS Monaco (3-2 defeat in first leg), "nevertheless we have to be aware that Ferencváros are capable of turning round this Round of 16 game," said Hradecky who finish by saying: "We have to be humble and work hard."

Related News

Nathan Tella auf dem Trainingsplatz
Bayer 04 - 23.03.2026

Training during the international break

The Werkself kicked off the final international break of the current season on Monday morning with the first of three open training sessions this week. While eleven Bayer 04 players will be away on international duty in the coming days, the other players will be working together in Leverkusen. The next challenge in the Bundesliga awaits on Saturday, 4 April (kick-off: 15:30 CEST) with the home game against VfL Wolfsburg.

Show more
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Bayer 04 - 23.03.2026

Technical maintenance: Online shop and login temporarily unavailable

Due to maintenance work, the online shop and other digital services from Bayer 04 Leverkusen will be temporarily restricted or unavailable from Monday, 23 March (18:00 CET) to Thursday, 26 March. Bayer 04 will provide immediate updates via the club's official channels if the work is completed earlier than planned. The overview.

Show more
Piljic per Dropkick ins Glück: Bayer 04-Frauen schlagen Jena | 21. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 22.03.2026

Women: TV-highlights of 1-0 home win against FC Carl Zeiss Jena

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 1-0 win against FC Carl Zeiss Jena on the 21th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.

Show more
Katharina Piljic bejubelt die Führung
Women - 22.03.2026

Piljic strike seals win for Bayer 04 Women against Jena

Thanks to a masterstroke from Katharina Piljic, the Werkself secured their eleventh win of the season in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga. On Sunday evening, coach Roberto Pätzold's team beat FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1-0. Midfielder Piljic scored the winning goal with a volley into the corner from the edge of the box (19’) in front of 633 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium - and ensured that Leverkusen moved up to fifth place in the table for at least one night with 34 points.

Show more
Terrier und Quansah
Bayer 04 - 22.03.2026

Bayer 04 pros Terrier and Quansah sidelined

Bayer 04 will have to make do without forward Martin Terrier in the next few weeks. The Frenchman sustained a muscle injury in his right hamstring in Saturday's 3-3 draw at Heidenheim in the Bundesliga.

Show more