"I really feel at home here straightaway, the facilities are brilliant. The players have great energy and have invested a lot of passion on the pitch," said Pätzold on his first day of coaching: "The atmosphere was very positive and I have a good feeling that our new coaching team will work well together. I'll be happy if it carries on like that over the next few days." The 44-year-old coach was joined by the new assistant Friederike Mehring as well as the second assistant Remzi Kahraman, up to now an individual coach with the Bayer 04 Women..
Some members of the squad were absent: Sylwia Matysik and Lilla Turányi, who were in action with their national sides after the end of the season, are still on holiday. Melissa Friedrich (torn ankle ligament), Delice Boboy (exams), Anne Moll (Wisdom tooth operation), Estrella Merino Gonzalez (injured) and Charlotte Voll (shoulder operation) also missed the first training session.
Katharina Piljić, the first summer signing for the Leverkusen women's team, made her first outing on the training ground. The midfielder from SGS Essen joined the training session alongside Louisa Remien (keeper), Ida Daedelow, Nina Hainke, Chiara Kaiser, Jana Lindner and Sena Fukumoto from the Bayer 04 youth ranks. The sextet have a chance to make a name for themselves over the coming weeks.
After a warm-up routine and a couple of passing drills in restricted space, Pätzold started off by having his new team work with the ball. The second part of the session followed with a game on half the pitch.
The first friendly is on Saturday 29 June against second division FSV Gütersloh (Kick-off: 12.00 CEST, Kurtekotten Performance Centre). After two more friendlies and a two-week break there will be a training camp in Katowice from 31 July to 5 August. That will be followed by another three friendlies against European opponents. The 2024/25 Bundesliga season begins at the end of August. The Werkself are in action in the second round of the DFB Pokal a week later.
The summer agenda for the Women's team can be found HERE.
Matchday three in the league stage of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 takes Bayer 04 to Stade Brest. To be more exact to Guingamp where the game against the most westerly top-flight club in France will be played at the Stade de Roudouro on Wednesday, 23 October with the kick-off at 18.45 CEST. The match will be covered live on DAZN and on Werkself Radio. Up to then we will take you on the tour #aCROSSeurope and keep you up-to-date on the Werkself in Brittany.
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The Werkself face French club Stade Brest on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League. Both teams won their first two games in Europe's premier club competition. Kick-off is at 18:45 CEST this evening, Wednesday 23 October, at the Stade du Roudourou (Guingamp). Catch up with key information ahead of the clash.
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Still unbeaten and now with seven points to their name: In the third match of the 2024/25 UEFA Youth League, Bayer 04 U19s earned a point at Stade Brest. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Stade Francis-Le Blé, Kerim Alajbegovic put Leverkusen ahead (24'), but the French side equalised shortly before the break. After the break, Artem Stepanov had the best chance for the Werkself but his shot hit the post and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
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Bayer 04 are away to Stade Brest on Wednesday, 23 October (kick-off: 18.45 CEST at the Stade de Roudourou, live on DAZN) on matchday three in the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the game, to be played in Guingamp, head coach Xabi Alonso and Martin Terrier spoke about their ambitions, the dangerous opponents as well as the personnel situation at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday night.
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