Kai, let's start with the most important question: What grade did you get and how was it?
Havertz: I had a four-hour geography exam on Tuesday and I feel really good about it so it must have gone alright.
What's the timetable for your A-levels in the next few weeks?
Havertz: I'm almost completely finished with the pre-exams and and then there's the run-in to the real A-levels in a month’s time. I've got German and Sport as main courses, Geography as the third subject and Maths oral.
Bayer 04 have pursued a dual concept in youth development for a long time to ensure vocational and academic education are not ignored. Who made the decision for you to concentrate on school this week?
Havertz: It came from the coach and that was fine by me as I knew I still had work to do. Otherwise, I would have been away for three days so it fitted in well. Of course, I would have liked to have played at the Vicente Calderón.
How have you found the double burden of school and professional football recently?
Havertz: It's been tough recently and there were times where it was really stressful when I needed to be fully focused on both things. It really is tiring and sometimes it's not easy mentally. But the end is in sight soon and then I can finally concentrate on my duties as a pro. And I'm very grateful to the club that I could combine football and school. That was important to my parents and to me.
Where did you watch your team-mates play and what's your assessment of their performance?
Havertz: I watched the game at home in Leverkusen and I think the lads played really well. Although everything wasn't perfect it was a step in the right direction.
Will you be available for the Werkself at Hoffenheim on Saturday?
Havertz: Well there aren't any academic duties at the weekend. But the coach has to decide whether he wants to include me in the squad. I'm definitely up for it.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to manage without centre-back Edmond Tapsoba in the coming weeks. The Burkina Faso international returned to the Werkself from the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco with a muscle injury.
Show more
The Werkself are away to Hamburg SV at the end of the Hinrunde in the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign. The match at the newly promoted club is on Tuesday night, 13 January (kick-off: 20:30 CET). Ahead of the first encounter with HSV since 2018, Kasper Hjulmand spoke about the strengths of the opponents, lessons learnt from the home defeat against VfB Stuttgart and provided a squad update.
Show more
In Germany, the temperatures are currently around zero, leaving even professional footballers freezing - but not the Bayer 04 Women. Roberto Pätzold's team have fled the cold to the south and are preparing for the second half of the season at a training camp in the Algarve, almost 2,000 kilometres away from home as the crow flies. The Leverkusen squad landed in Faro on Saturday morning and have already completed the first three training sessions over the weekend.
Show more
It was a disappointing Saturday night. The Werkself lost 4-1 to VfB Stuttgart to start the new year on Bundesliga matchday 16 in 2025/26, a result that left both players and fans disappointed. "We played without any passion," said Alejandro Grimaldo honestly afterwards. Teammate Jarell Quansah was even more self-critical, emphasising: "We were miles off it in the first half. You can't put in a performance like that, especially in front of our own fans and I can only apologise to them, to be honest." Read on for the reaction, facts and stats from the clash with VfB Stuttgart in the Werkself review.
Show more
