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“We’ve got an important game coming up on Sunday. We need to recover today and then prepare well tomorrow. Frankfurt are one of the division’s top teams. They play with a lot of tempo and high energy, have a good coach and strong players,” Alonso said. The Spaniard also spoke about Mario Götze, who he played with at Bayern Munich: “Mario is a very special player. I remember how he would always make the right decision in tight spaces. I enjoyed playing with him. Now he’s matured and grown up more.”
What isn’t clear is which Eintracht will show up at the BayArena on Sunday. They were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal at the start of December by third-tier Saarbrücken but have since thrashed Bayern 5-1 in the Bundesliga. Then during the week, the Eagles were beaten 2-0 at Aberdeen in the UEFA Europa Conference League despite a dominant display. However, Alonso is expecting the “Bayern version” this weekend. The 42-year-old stressed that “we don’t compare ourselves with other teams. It’s not important how Frankfurt played against Aberdeen or Bayern. We focus on ourselves.”
After a little over a year at the Bayer 04 helm, Alonso was asked with the winter break coming for a summary of his time so far in Germany. “My family and I feel very good here in Germany. That’s very important, gives me the stability to focus on my work as best as possible,” the coach stated. Summing up the season so far, he added: “Being top over the winter break would obviously be good, but it doesn’t mean anything. Although, our current run is special. The challenge now is to keep going and maintain this current mentality and consistency.”
When asked about the possibility of an investor getting involved with the DFL, Alonso said: “The Bundesliga has great resonance around the world. For example, we don’t just have Bayer 04 fans in Germany but also in Spain, Argentina or Japan. In my opinion, we should maintain football’s traditions, but we also need perspective and need to continue to develop because we are in competition with the other major European leagues. The atmosphere and support from fans in Germany is special. We shouldn’t be fearful but positive and look ahead.”
There are set to be 30,210 fans inside the BayArena cheering on the Werkself for the penultimate fixture of 2023. The stadium is once again sold out in the Bundesliga.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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