Loic Badé has outlined Bayer Leverkusen's season goals and Europa League ambitions during the team's training camp. The French defender gave an interview in Blankenhain on Tuesday.
Badé looks back on a year of ups and downs. His first season with the club ended with a DFB-Pokal victory. Now the 26-year-old aims to achieve something big with the team in the Europa League. The first group stage match of the season is scheduled for September 17. The full schedule can be found on our fixtures page.
Loic Badé wants to become a mainstay in Bayer Leverkusen's defence in his second season. He feels well integrated in the team and has the trust of coach Xabi Alonso. The Frenchman emphasises the importance of team cohesion, which is being strengthened at the training camp. With the squad listed on our squad page, he sees the potential for more titles.
A mini-tournament during Tuesday's morning session underlined the good feeling within the team. Badé said, "We can achieve great things." This attitude is shared by the entire squad. Die Werkself wants to continue the success from the previous year, when they won the domestic double.
The Europa League title is a stated goal for Bayer Leverkusen this campaign. The team enters the competition with ambition, after being eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals last season. The squad is well-equipped for the double burden of Bundesliga and European football.
A special test awaits in pre-season with a match against Badé's former club Sevilla. Such friendlies serve as optimal preparation for the European tasks. The current Bundesliga table situation can be viewed on our standings page.
The encounter with Sevilla has a personal note for Loic Badé. The centre-back played for the Spanish club before his move to Bayer Leverkusen. The match is, above all, an important performance test for the whole team shortly before the season starts.
It's about refining tactical processes under competitive conditions. Coach Alonso uses these matches to finalise his starting lineup. Die Werkself wants to start the new season strongly, both domestically and internationally.
Preparations are on track. The team shows high intensity and motivation in training sessions. Bayer Leverkusen begins the season with the clear aim of competing at the top in all competitions. The coming weeks will show how the form develops before the competitive matches begin.
