The weather could hardly have been better with bright sunshine and temperatures over 20 degrees as the teams kicked off the first Ulrich Haberland Cup since 2019 on the morning of Saturday, 2 July. There were 20 teams competing at the traditional tournament, which was launched in 2009, including Bayer 04 fan clubs, a team consisting of employees and even a fan club from Kickers Offenbach, who arrived with over 40 people, and one from Karlsruher SC.
Werkself players Andrich and Lomb also mingled with the numerous attendees at the Kurt-Rieß-Anlage. The pair visited the fans with head coach Gerardo Seoane after the morning session, watched a few games and also took plenty of time for photos with supporters.
At the end of a successful tournament and day for the whole family, with the only downer being two serious injuries, the Grafen von Berg fan club was crowned the winners.
The Ulrich Haberland Cup traditionally isn’t just about the fun of playing but also about good causes. Proceeds this year from the catering, which the NK12 organised together with ASB [Workers' Samaritan Foundation] Regionalverband Vest Recklinghausen, will go to the children’s palliative care unit at Leverkusen Hospital.
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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