Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock on the playing field at the Zell am See commercial college. 'Train like the pros’ is on a black and red banner at the entrance. There is plenty of action on the pitch with the first drills already underway. There are 22 children at this year’s fifth Soccer School summer camp in Salzburger Land. Seven of them are from the local region and the capital Vienna with the other kids having travelled from Leverkusen to the Alps last weekend accompanied by five coaches.
The Black and Red youngsters train twice a day from Monday to Friday. In between the sessions, they either visit the Werkself training sessions or go to the lido on Zeller See, which is a few minutes walk away from the commercial college. The kids can try out stand-up paddle boarding. And there is plenty to do in the evenings too: From a foam party at the accommodation, the Club Kitzsteinhorn youth hostel, through to visiting the Gorgeous Lights event.
Another highlight at the training camp: Watching Lukas Hradecky and Co. play top-flight Italian club Udinese in Thursday's friendly at the Alois Latini Stadium in Zell am See. They have already had a group photo with the whole squad.
The passing and shooting drills certainly put the kids at the Soccer School through their paces in the summer temperatures of over 30 degrees in Salzburger Land. But that doesn't bother Ida from Leichlingen: "I like the training sessions best. When we finish we usually go to the lake. A chance to cool off," said the 12-year-old who is taking part in the camp with her two-years younger brother Leif. Everybody heads home on Saturday after five days of training.
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
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Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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