The Bayer 04 players and staff headed off from the BayArena on Sunday afternoon in the direction of Düsseldorf to take up residence at the team hotel. For head coach Peter Bosz and defender Sven Bender there was the pre-match press conference and then the obligatory final training session for the Werkself. We've put together a gallery from the session at the home ground of Fortuna Düsseldorf:
The clash between the North Italians and the Rhinelanders will be refereed by the Spaniard Carlos del Cerro Grande. The 44-year-old has refereed five Champions League games this season and the Europa League game between Ludogorets and Inter (0-2). His assistants in Düsseldorf are fellow countrymen Juan Carlos Yuste Jiminez and Roberto Alonso Fernandez. The fourth official is Jesus Gil Manzano, and the video assistant referee is Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez.
Inter's head coach Antonio Conte talked about the quality of the Werkself team at the pre-match press conference on Sunday night. "Bayer 04 Leverkusen have a lot of talented and quick players who can be very dangerous in counter-attacks," said the 51-year-old. "When we attack, we’ll have to be wary of the pace of the Leverkusen players. We have to be in a position to play our game and make the most of our qualities to cause problems for the opposition."
As in the Round of 16 second leg against Rangers (1-0), Bayer 04 will also be broadcasting the matchday show ahead of the game against Inter. Our presenter Mara will be helping you get in the mood on the club's YouTube channel from 20.30 CEST (click HERE for the show!) and that will include talking to the former Werkself and Inter Milan player Giulio Donati. The 30 year-old has been at US Lecce since the winter and he was in the South Italian team for the 1-1 draw with the runners-up from the fashion capital. Bayer 04 legend Rüdiger Vollborn will also be on the show. As usual, the Werkself Radio will take over just before kick-off. Tune in!
The knockout clash as part of the Europa League finals tournament is the third competitive game between the Nerazzurri and the Black and Reds. There were two matches in the group stage of the Champions League season of 2002/03, which saw the Italians win both games. The first leg in Milan ended in a 3-2 defeat for the Werkself (Bayer 04 goalscorers: Boris Zivkovic and Franca), the second leg in Leverkusen ended with a 2-0 win for the Italians. Bayer 04 will be looking to improve the stats in Düsseldorf and progress to the Europa League semifinals...
Nerd knowledge: The Werkself played three knockout matches at the Arena built in 2004 – and ran out winners on all three occasions. That was in the DFB Cup in 2008/09: against Energie Cottbus, Bayern Munich and Mainz 05.
Leon Bailey and Panos Retsos were a year older on Sunday. Our number three joined Leverkusen in the summer of 2017 but was on loan for the last six months at the Premier League club Sheffield United. The 22-year-old Greek cannot play in the Europa League as the competition is part of the 2019/20 season. Bailey, at Leverkusen since January 2017, celebrated his 23rd birthday at the team hotel in Düsseldorf in the evening after having completed the final pre-match training session with his Werkself teammates. Bayer 04 wish the duo: Many happy returns!
Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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One ticket, two matches – and a varied programme of events, including appearances by players from the professional teams: Bayer 04 has come up with something very special for the 2026 season launch on Saturday, 8 August. From morning right through to the evening, Werkself fans can use just one ticket to not only enjoy top-class football from the Bayer 04 teams live, but also to experience unforgettable moments with the whole family through a variety of hands-on activities around the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The day will also end on a real high note: after both matches, Bayer 04 supporters will have the opportunity to interact directly with the players during joint activities and get to know them from a different angle.
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Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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