
The great passion for their favourite sport is evident amongst the Werkself U11 squad during the suspension caused by coronavirus. "I hope I can finally start training with my lads again at Kurtekotten," said Gabriel Minutillo who played eleven friendlies with his team and coaching duo Sebastian Lang and Fritz Vosen in this season from August to the start of October before working from home and individual training started.
In their New Year's wishes, the 10-year-olds see the bigger picture away from football and, in addition to returning to full training, primarily want to see one thing: good health for everybody.
Davud Alibasic: "I wish everybody a good start and I hope we can play more often this year compared with 2020. Thanks to all the staff at Bayer 04 who have always been and will be there for us."
Can Altuner: "I'm wishing for Bayer 04, and also for me, a successful year on the pitch and above all a healthy 2021 and, of course, finally getting back to playing normally. My motto for every training session and every game is: Battle with passion, win with pride, lose with respect – but never give up! That's how I want to approach 2021 with my lads."
Valon Bedzeti: "My wish is that everybody stays healthy and that we can soon be able to train and play under normal conditions again and, in a couple of years, we are all successful football players. One thing is particularly important to me: Fight for your team if you want your team to fight for you!"
Rayan Ben Ali: "My wish for the New Year is that we all remain healthy and happy and that we can soon defeat coronavirus. Then we can finally all get back to training and playing our games. A successful 2021 to all teams at Bayer 04!"
Celal Demir: "For me, in addition to the health of everybody around me, there is a target again like last year: It's not about being the best. It's about being better than yesterday at the end of the day."
Finn Grotthaus: "My wish for the club and the Werkself is a Champions League place at the end of the season."
Samuel Guie-Mien: "In 2021, I wish above all health for me, my family and my teammates and continuing great success at Bayer 04."
Diego Kampl: "I wish everybody much happiness and good health for the New Year and hope that all children will finally be able to play football again as normal. My personal wish is to be able to go to the stadium again with my father."
Emirhan Karabulut: "For the New Year, I wish that coronavirus disappears forever from our lives. And I wish the Bayer 04 family all the best for the New Year 2021. I hope we can all see each other again soon and matches and training together will be possible as in the old days. I really miss football. See you soon at Kurtekotten!"
Anderson Kussunga: "In addition to health for everybody, I wish from a personal sporting point of view that I can improve my right foot, increase my speed and successfully work on my technique."„
Adam Labari: "I wish the club, players, coaches and staff all the best for the future, the best possible success and above all health so that we can all be back on the pitch together soon."
Gabriel Minutillo: "In 2021, my wish is to be able to train with my lads again at Kurtekotten and that the Werkself end the season by qualifying for the Champions League."
Lindi Neimi: "I hope the first team continue to be so successful and can perhaps even end up as champions of Germany. When the pandemic has been beaten then I want to be able to train with my team at Kurtekotten again and play lots of games together."
Yaron Ommer: "I wish the whole youth section at Bayer 04 all the best for the New Year. Stay healthy. I hope we can see each other again as soon as possible and then give it our all in every training session, every game and every tournament."
Chahin Sathi: "Unfortunately, for us 2020 was mainly a year without normal contact with our friends, training sessions and matches. But we’re now starting the new year full of energy and anticipation."
Training sessions and matches remain suspended in the youth and amateur game. The timing of the return to the pitch is dependent on the development of the pandemic.

Today brings the first match of the season for the Werkself. Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign today, Saturday 22 August, at 13:00 CEST with a first-round DFB Pokal tie away to third-tier side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. The 3,700 travelling fans can not only look forward to what will hopefully be a successful start to the season, but also now organise their journeys to Black and Reds games even more easily via the WERKSELFgo car-share platform. Meanwhile, following two defeats at the start of the league season, SV Wehen are hoping to spring a surprise in the DFB Pokal tie. Today’s matchday news.
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Carolin Simon is the new captain of the Bayer 04 women’s team. The full-back, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, will take over the captain’s armband for the 2026/27 season. Simon returned to Leverkusen in the summer after ten years away. The 33-year-old succeeds goalkeeper Friederike Repohl, who retired at the end of last season.
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Bayer 04 start the 2026/27 season away to third-division side SV Wehen Wiesbaden. Ahead of the DFB Pokal tie on Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon. The topics: anticipation, passion, the fans’ support – and the captaincy for the new season.
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After 62 days of preparation, the time has finally come: the Werkself kick off the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season on Sunday (16:00 CEST) with an away match at RB Leipzig. Following a major shake-up over the summer, with eleven players leaving and twelve new signings, initial impressions from the past few weeks have given manager Roberto Pätzold great cause for optimism.
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SV Wehen Wiesbaden undoubtedly envisaged a different start to the new season. After two matchdays, the Hessen side currently sit bottom of the Liga 3 table. On Saturday 22 August (kick-off: 13:00 CEST), SVWW host the Werkself in the first round of the DFB Pokal at their home ground, the BRITA Arena. It was there, in this very competition a year ago, that the club almost pulled off a massive upset. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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