As part of their 12-day trip to Germany, a visit to Leverkusen was on the agenda after a friendly match against Schalke in the middle of the week. The visit started in the morning with an exclusive tour of the BayArena and ended at the Bundesliga team's training ground.
There, the young Australian players got to watch Edmond Tapsoba, Jonas Hofmann & Co. train under the guidance of Xabi Alonso and his coaching staff.
Jefta Bresser, head of the performance centre at Bayer 04, emphasised during the visit: “It's always interesting for us to see how football is played in other parts of the world. Such sporting comparisons and exchanges off the pitch are very important and helpful for all sides.”
After lunch, the Australian entourage then headed to the Kurtekotten performance centre, where a practice match against a mixed Bayer 04 U19/U17 team was the sporting highlight of the day. And it turned into an intense, high-scoring game in which it went back and forth. The lead changed hands time and again, with the match ultimately ending 5-4 in favour of the visiting Sydney side.
The Australian travelling party also included long-time Bundesliga player Alexander Baumjohann, now head of player management at the A-League club after two years as a player at Sydney FC. Following the match, the Bundesliga champion and two-time DFB Cup winner spoke of an “incredibly well-organised day by Bayer 04. I've never experienced anything like it. The club and the people in charge took great care of us, our players and we were very impressed.”
The contact between Sydney FC and Bayer 04 came about through Baumjohann and Simon Rolfes, managing director for sport at the current Bundesliga leaders. Baumjohann said: “We used to play against each other a lot and spoke a year or two ago. When it became clear that we would be taking part in the Easter tournament in Düsseldorf, I got in touch again, and that's how this wonderful day came about.”
Sydney FC are the first Australian club to take part in the international Easter tournament in Düsseldorf. From Thursday evening to Easter Monday, clubs from Germany and Sydney FC will face teams including Everton (England), Nordsjaelland (Denmark) and a Japanese university XI.
The opener in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26: On Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST), the Werkself will kick off the new UCL campaign at FC Copenhagen. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about his return to Parken, the Danish record champions' home ground. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, for his part, was looking forward to his first Champions League game.
Show moreBayer 04's new coach Kasper Hjulmand will kick off the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in his home country: The Danish double winners FC Copenhagen welcome the Werkself to the Parken Stadium on Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST/live on DAZN). Hjulmand not only knows the stadium, but also some of the FC Copenhagen players from his time as the Denmark coach. The lowdown on our next opponents.
Show moreBayer 04 are away to FC Copenhagen on the first matchday of the league phase in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League. The game against the Danish record champions is on Thursday, 18 September (kick-off: 18:45 CEST) at the Parken Stadium. Ahead of the match, here are some travel tips from Bayer 04 partner weloveholidays for all travelling fans of the Werkself.
Show moreTickets are now on open sale for two more Bundesliga home games for the Bayer 04 Women. Every Werkself fan can now buy tickets for the matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium against runners-up VfL Wolfsburg and promoted club Hamburg SV. The latest information at a glance.
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