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“It’ll be a big challenge tomorrow. We’re definitely not going to take the game easy,” Alonso stressed at the start of his press conference. “Being in the final is the greatest thing for a footballer. For the club as well, it would be something we haven’t had too often. That’s why we want to take this final step tomorrow,” the Spaniard said with determination. The 42-year-old, who reached the 2016 DFB Cup final with Bayern Munich but didn’t feature due to a rib injury, also spoke of the atmosphere. “The cup final in Berlin is special. I have fond memories of it. The atmosphere is really special, almost comparable with a Champions League final. The players want that, and we all want to experience it.”
However, Alonso also warned of a hungry opponent. “They’ve got good momentum in the league right now, a very good coach, and have been playing together for a long time. They absolutely deserve to be in the semi-finals,” the coach stated. He also described Fortuna as brave and dynamic: “It’ll be very intense. They’ve very flexible, can play with possession but can also be compact and look to counter. They’ll come here very excited, but same with us.”
Alonso has very nearly a full squad at his disposal for Wednesday. “It’s a super situation. Everyone except Arthur is in,” he confirmed. That means Exequiel Palacios and Victor Boniface are both back. Alonso said of the Nigerian striker: “Boni has trained very hard and has proven a strong mentality to come back. He can hardly wait to be back on the pitch.”
The BayArena is obviously sold out for Wednesday. Alonso is once again looking forward to an amazing atmosphere on home turf. “We need the support of our fans tomorrow to take this big chance. We can feel their excitement. It’s in the air. The fans want to go to Berlin, and so do we. We’ll give our all for that tomorrow.”
After eight years in the youth set-up at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Benjamin Adam is leaving the club. The 35-year-old, who most recently coached the Leverkusen U17s, will take charge of the Hansa Rostock U19 team next season.
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There was a successful end to the women's internationals with Werkself players Carlotta Wamser and Cornelia Kramer qualifying for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil. A third Leverkusen player is still in with a chance of joining them. The Germany U23 players also experienced success in their last two international friendlies of the season.
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Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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