You've just finished an intensive week's training camp. How would you sum it up?
Pätzold: We had fantastic conditions here on the training pitch and in the hotel. We had a very intensive week with lots of sessions and a challenging friendly. In lots of one-on-one meetings and individual analyses, we were able to raise awareness of the players' different job profiles. We got to know our new players better and communicated our playing philosophy to them. And off the pitch, we had plenty of time to get to know each other better as a team. In addition, the visit to Auschwitz was a very important aspect that created an awareness of things outside of football that are much more relevant.
How important was it for you to have the entire squad together at the training camp?
Pätzold: Many of our players joined in pre-season at very different points. This is another reason why the training camp was important so we could improve the quality of our sessions and bring everyone up to a similar level in terms of both content and athleticism.
How far along is the team just four weeks before the start of the season?
Pätzold: We've seen a lot of good signs and already implemented the content we developed in training in the friendly against Sosnowiec. Of course, we still need time to fine-tune our interplay. However, we're very satisfied with the intensity, willingness to perform and fitness levels.
What was the main focus of the training camp?
Pätzold: We worked a lot on set-piece situations, on defending in depth and on playing out overload situations. We also repeated attacking patterns through the centre and via the wings. We had a very good balance between intensive workload and good regeneration. My compliments to the players for the way they all pulled together and showed their resilience.
How happy are you with the new players so far?
Pätzold: The new players have increased the quality of the team in terms of football, character and commitment. They're investing a lot to assert themselves at their new club. The friendlies so far have already shown we'll have a lot of joy with them. Fortunately, the team makes it very easy for the new arrivals to quickly settle in.
What will you be focusing on between now and the start of the season?
Pätzold: The remaining three friendlies will certainly show us what we still need to work on. We want to be very awkward, physically strong and difficult to predict opponents. It will be important to maintain the pace from training and the friendlies on the pitch for 90 minutes. It's also about refining processes so our game works against different systems. We want to make what we already do well even more varied so we're less predictable. We developed a very good foundation for this at the training camp.
Whether it's sport or his private live: Captain Edmond Tapsoba tells us his top three personal favourites in twelve categories in edition #56 of the Werkself Magazine. The defender had to answer as quickly as he reacts on the pitch. 'On the Podium' with Edmond Tapsoba!
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“Year after year, this is an incredibly valuable gathering, both in terms of the content covered and the opportunity for mutual discussion,” stressed Bayer 04 goalkeeping coach David Thiel in his welcoming address at this year’s goalkeeping coaches’ meeting. This was the third time in four seasons that the event had been held at the BayArena. Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the meeting brought together goalkeeping coaches from the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and the 3rd division from the west region. For the first time this year, goalkeeping coaches from the youth performance centres (NLZ) were also present. Bayer 04 fitness coach Markus Müller provided fascinating insights into the specific fitness training carried out with the Werkself’s goalkeepers.
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A floodlit derby, two further night games and a top-of-the-table clash on a Saturday afternoon: The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed the exact dates for four further matchdays in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. This means all fixtures for the Bayer 04 women’s team up to the end of the year, as well as the first two in 2027, are now confirmed.
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It was another incredibly close call in the end: The second showdown in the 2026/27 VBL Club Championship saw the #B04eSports team once again narrowly miss out on a place in the top 16 of the preliminary round – and with it, a spot in the in-person knockout stage. It was a bitter blow: Marc and Sean Landwehr again fell just short, despite being level on points with their rivals. As was the case last month, their weaker record across the twelve individual matches in the six preliminary round fixtures proved decisive.
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Several Werkself players are set to represent their national teams during the final international break of 2026. Here’s an overview of who has been called up and the matches they will face in November. This article will be updated regularly.
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