
Nordi Mukiele on…
…his first days with the Werkself: The work here is tough and meticulous every day. But that was clear to me before the move as such an impressive season as the last one would not have been possible at all without that. I'm very happy to be here. Now I first want to use the international break to absorb the the coach’s style of play and to be ready tactically for when the squad is back to full strength.

…the reasons for his move to Leverkusen: The people who work with me know what I want and what I need. When they came with the approach from Bayer 04 and I spoke to the management and the coach I quickly agreed to the move. I know how good the team and the coaches are. And I love the Bundesliga. It's "a perfect match" – that's why I'm here.
…his style of play: Away from the pitch, I like to laugh a lot and I’m always in a good mood. But on the pitch I’m the tough defender and I always defend the goal wholeheartedly. I don't want strikers to score against my team or me. It's not important whether I play in the centre or on the flanks. I'll play where ever I'm put.

…his time at RB Leipzig from 2018 to 2022: Nothing has changed since then. Of course, I didn't play that much in Paris over the last two years. But I'm still the same player. I'm hungry exactly like the club. The ambition of this young team is massive – that's what I need.
…his expectations for the current season: I don't want people to think I've only come here for myself. I'm here because I want to help the team to have another successful season.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed a loan deal with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach for Argentinian striker Alejo Sarco. The 20-year-old joins Mönchengladbach with immediate effect for the rest of the season.
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The Werkself are away to Greek double winners Olympiacos on matchday 7 in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League campaign. Tonight, 20 January (kick-off: 22:00 local time/21:00 CET), Bayer 04 will not only face a familiar face in Panagiotis Retsos, but also an experienced and successful team in their Greek top-flight opponents. The Olympiacos midfield and forward line in particular are peppered with seasoned veterans from top European clubs - but even they will first have to find solutions against the Werkself defence that has recently performed with aplomb in the UCL. The matchday news.
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The Werkself are away to Greek double winners Olympiacos on matchday 7 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase. Ahead of the clash on Tuesday, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about anticipation for the game. Werkself player Ibrahim Maza also gave an insight into dealing with the recent setbacks.
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After their first win on matchday 6 in the UCL league phase, Olympiacos are still in with a good chance of reaching the play-offs in the UEFA Champions League. The 2024 UEFA Conference League winners will be looking to go one better in their home match against Bayer 04 this Tuesday, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), but their stop scorer is unavailable. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Panagiotis, known as Panos, Retsos wore the Bayer 04 jersey for three years. Including his loan spells, he was under contract with the Werkself for a total of four and a half years. "It's a very special club for me," said the 27-year-old, who returned to his boyhood club Olympiacos in 2022, in an interview with bayer04.de. The former Leverkusen man is now captain and a first choice for the Werkself's next opponents in the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the clash on Tuesday night, 20 January (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Retsos talks about his fond memories of his time in Leverkusen and the imminent reunion with some of his former team-mates. He also talks about who brought him to Leverkusen and why he likes getting older.
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