
"We had an all-round successful day with lots of fun, enjoyment and great commitment from all the children," said junior scout Heiko Pöhlandt, who was able to observe "a higher level" among the older age groups in particular compared to the talent day in the spring.
The 90 enthusiastic participants - including 15 goalkeepers - put their skills to the test at various points on pitch two at the Performance Centre, supervised by twelve coaches from the Bayer 04 junior section. Special emphasis was placed on exercises consisting of coordination, ball awareness and understanding of the game.






Additional motivation was provided by the two Werkself players Sofie Zdebel, who has been at the club since 2019 and played for several junior teams at Kurtekotten, and Charlotte Voll. The two not only gave tips on ball control, goalkeeping and the like, but also took the time to answer questions from the talented youngsters. "I was pleasantly surprised at how many girls from the region turned up despite the miserable weather. You could tell that each and every one of them was highly motivated and it was easy to recognise one or two talents," said goalkeeper Voll.
Over the next three weeks, all participants will receive feedback as to whether they will be invited back for a further training session.

Edmond Tapsoba has signed an early extension to his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. With two years left on his current deal, the 27-year-old Burkina Faso international has extended his contract until 30 June 2031. The centre-back joined as a young talent from Portuguese top-flight club Vitoria Guimaraes at the start of 2020.
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A special surprise: during the preview for the 'Fierté Burkinabè' documentary about Edmond Tapsoba, Bayer 04 directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes announced Tapsoba's contract extension until 2031 together with the centre-back. He then spoke to Werkself-TV about his time in Leverkusen so far and future ambitions...
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This evening was deeply moving: At a really special setting, Bayer 04 exclusively presented the specially produced documentary ‘Fierté Burkinabè’ ("Burkinabe Pride") about Edmond Tapsoba on Tuesday. For the preview at the BayArena, the parents of the Werkself player and other close companions travelled all the way from his African homeland Burkina Faso. The 45-minute film shows Tapsoba's extraordinary career from his beginnings in Ouagadougou to Leverkusen as well as the work of his foundation "Fondation Edmond Tapsoba", with representatives from Burkina Faso also present. Fans can watch the documentary free of charge on Werkself TV and YouTube from Wednesday night at 20:00 CEST.
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Bayer 04 have signed left-back Carolin Simon from champions Bayern Munich for the coming season. The 33-year-old former Germany international, who played for Leverkusen from 2013 to 2016, has signed a contract to 30 June 2028.
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Bayer 04 Women have strengthened for the coming season with the signing of Lobke Loone. The 23-year-old Dutch striker joins from Utrecht on a contract until 30 June 2028.
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