The organisers of the Bayer 04 Football School chose a very special location for the Q&A session with the successful Werkself duo: the dugouts in the BayArena. There, Victor Boniface and Odilon Kossounou answered questions such as who has been their most challenging opponent to date: Boniface chose his former Europa League opponent and current teammate Jonathan Tah, Kossounou the world-class centre-forward Erling Haaland (Manchester City).
Another secret that has now been revealed: the two African internationals' favourite animals are dogs (Boniface) and lions (Kossounou). And when asked about their best friends in the team, both first counted off numerous names, only to then realise that every teammate, without exception, has become a good friend. Boniface and Kossounou rounded things off with some important tips on how to make the step into professional football - Boniface: "Always believe in yourself and work on your strengths and weaknesses every day."
And of course, the children at the Football School also took a look ahead to the EURO 2024 final on Sunday. "Who do you fancy?" The clear answer from the Leverkusen duo: Spain - and therefore also teammate Alejandro Grimaldo.
In the morning, Boniface and Kossounou worked alongside Jonas Hofmann and U19 player Francis Onyeka on the training pitch at the BayArena. After a few rounds of football tennis inside the stadium, they took to the pitch under the guidance of assistant coach Sebastian Parrilla and athletics coach Markus Müller.
There, the quartet completed athletics drills and exercises with the ball at their feet, putting them in the right frame of mind for the start of pre-season on Sunday (performance diagnostics) and Monday (training). They then rounded things off with a "welcome back" selfie.
The majority of the Werkself squad will return for performance diagnostics on Sunday, 14 July, with the first team training session scheduled for the following day. The session in front of the BayArena gates is scheduled to start at 11:00 CEST and is accessible to Bayer 04 fans. Click HERE for the dates of the German double winners' other open training sessions that have already been finalised.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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