Baum: “We always see ourselves as a team”
FCA host Bayer Leverkusen
First Team
04.12.2025, 16:30
FC Augsburg welcome Bayer 04 Leverkusen to the WWK ARENA on Saturday at 15:30 CET for matchday 13 of the Bundesliga. After parting ways with Sandro Wagner, this will be the first game under interim head coach Manuel Baum.
“It feels absolutely great,” said the 46-year-old, who previously coached FCA from December 2016 to April 2019, overseeing 82 Bundesliga matches in that spell. His brief return to the dugout has been clearly defined: after the games against Leverkusen, Frankfurt and Bremen, Baum will resume his role as Head of Development & Football Innovation. “That was the basic condition for me,” added Baum, who has had a busy few days. “I’ve held a huge number of conversations. The main focus is entirely on how we can win on Saturday.”
Leverkusen, who finished second in the Bundesliga last season, currently sit in fourth place in 2025/26 and reached the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals with a 1-0 win in Dortmund on Tuesday. Under Kasper Hjulmand, the Werkself have been in outstanding form recently. “It’s about getting the best out of each individual player so we can achieve our goal,” Baum explained. FCA, he added, have real quality in the squad, boosted by the summer signings. “My expectation for Saturday is that we make life as difficult as possible for Leverkusen.”
Baum: “So much has been built here”
Together with interim assistants Alexander Frankenberger and Fabio Leutenecker, Baum has come up with a plan for Saturday’s match. “At FCA, we always see ourselves as a team – that’s what defines us,” he stressed. The coaching staff have also developed ideas for how the side should play with the ball, which they aim to implement against Leverkusen. Despite all the tactical planning, the guiding principle remains: “Keep it simple.” What matters most is “sticking together and helping each other after mistakes.”
Baum has also been struck by how much the club has progressed since his last spell in charge: “It’s incredible how far FCA have come in recent years. Whether here at the WWK ARENA or at the Paul Renz Academy – so much has been built.”
Apart from Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (MCL operation) and Ismaël Gharbi (FIFA Arab Cup), Baum has his full squad available for the meeting with Leverkusen.
