
It all started at 18.00 CET at the BayArena. After team chef Marius Kiepert presented the menu – spaghetti al dente and Greek yoghurt with fruit and brittle – and allocated the groups, there was a hive of cooking activity with plenty of questions too. The 14- to 19-year-olds had the opportunity to quiz the midfielder. The Werkself number eight was happy to share anecdotes on his best goal, feisty FIFA clashes, but also his cooking abilities. "I'm very happy to the cooking at home from time to time. My favourite meal is chili con carne... In Berlin it obviously has to be a real currywurst," revealed the Potsdam-born player.






After the culinary mission was completed, the self-prepared two-course meal was enjoyed in one of the many boxes at the BayArena. The evening was rounded off with autographs on aprons and selfies with a view of the stadium with everybody going home sated and with beaming smiles.
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New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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