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"I'm really up for it!" said Erik ten Hag, making clear his excitement at his first Bundesliga match as head coach in the dugout. "Everything doesn't go to plan straightaway for any team in the first game of the season. But you can feel a very, very good team spirit in the dressing room and the team is coming together more and more. That's a very good foundation for the start of the season. On top of that there is a special bond between the team and the fans, which we saw last week in the DFB Pokal. That really impressed me.”
Asked about the successful preseason for TSG Hoffenheim with eight wins in eight friendlies and a goal difference of 40 to 5, plus the 4-0 victory at Hansa Rostock in the DFB Pokal, ten Hag said: "There are no easy games in the Bundesliga, that's absolutely clear. Hoffenheim are in good shape, they have a good coach and a good team. We'll have to give our all."
This summer's transfers were obviously a topic for discussion at the press conference. Asked about the many young new signings, ten Hag declared: "We still have a lot of experienced players, also in the spine of the team: Mark, Eddy, Rob, Patrik – they are all very experienced. The mix in the squad is good. And there are players who have stayed who bring a certain culture from the last few years, the culture of Bayer 04. It's exactly the same with the staff. And that's also very good."
For the Dutchman, who was previously at Manchester United and Ajax, it is not the first summer with lots of changes in personnel. Ten Hag: "Every era, every phase comes to an end at some point. Now it's time for a new successful phase. And we're all working hard on that every day, including the people in the background."
As in the DFB Pokal tie, Exequiel Palacios, Jonas Hofmann, Martin Terrier, Jeanuel Belocian and Malik Tillman are ruled out for the TSG game. New signing Loïc Badé will very probably not be an option. "But it looks good for him next week. And the other players are making good progress," explained ten Hag. Claudio Echeverri is ready to play: "He is absolutely fit and a player who was born with the ball at his feet (laughs). Of course, he could play from the start."
For the Bundesliga opener at the BayArena, a few tickets are available as well as tickets via the Bayer 04 ticket exchange. Click HERE for tickets.
In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Rieden reloaded: Just like last year, the Bayer 04 Women’s team are spending their summer training camp in this idyllic corner of Bavaria. From this Sunday, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team will be based in Rieden in the Upper Palatinate for a week.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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