
Bayer 04 captain Lukas Hradecky is in the Finland squad. The Werkself keeper is set to face Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Romania and Bosnia-Herzegovina again in Group 3 of League B in the UEFA Nations League.
International duty started on Monday 23 May for Jonathan Tah. The 26-year-old is currently with the Germany squad at a five-day training camp in Marbella. The team under coach Hansi Flick are preparing for Nations League games in June. The opponents in Group 3 of League A are European champions Italy, England, Hungary and Italy again.
Moussa Diaby is also lined up for international fixtures. France national coach Didier Deschamps has called up the pacy striker to his 24-man squad. The Équipe Tricolore first play Denmark before two matches in Group 1 of League A against Croatia and Austria.
A new competition is about to take place: Argentina, winners of the 2021 Copa America, play the reigning European champions Italy at Wembley Stadium. Werkself midfielder Exequiel Palacios is in the South American squad. The 23-year-old has made 18 full international appearances so far.
Piero Hincapie is on the road with Ecuador. The versatile defender is on a USA tour of friendlies with games against Nigeria, Mexico and Cape Verde. The 20-year-old has 16 caps for Ecuador to date and has scored one goal for his country.
Edmond Tapsoba has two qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in June. The Werkself number 12 is with Burkina Faso for a game against Cape Verde and a meeting with Eswatini. Togo are the fourth team in Group B of the AFCON qualifiers.
Defender Odilon Kossounou is in the squad for two games for the Ivory Coast. The 13-time International faces Zambia and Lesotho in Group H of the AFCON qualifiers. The match against the third group opponents Comoros is set to be played in September 2022.
Left-back Mitchel Bakker is in the final 23-man squad. As part of the European championship qualifiers, the team under Marcel Groninger play Moldova, Gibraltar and Wales. Bakker and Co. are currently second in Group 5 just two points behind leaders Switzerland having played one game less.
INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES:
Lukas Hradecky – Finland
4 June, 18.00 CEST: Finland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (UEFA Nations League)
7 June, 18.00 CEST: Finland vs Montenegro (UEFA Nations League)
11 June, 20.45 CEST: Romania vs Finland (UEFA Nations League)
14 June, 20.45 CEST: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Finland (UEFA Nations League)
Jonathan Tah – Germany
4 June, 20:45 CEST: Italy vs Germany (UEFA Nations League)
7 June, 20:45 CEST: Germany vs England (UEFA Nations League)
11 June, 20.45 CEST: Hungary vs Germany (UEFA Nations League)
14 June, 20.45 CEST: Germany vs Italy (UEFA Nations League)
Moussa Diaby – France
3 June, 20.45 CEST: France vs Denmark (UEFA Nations League)
6 June, 20.45 CEST: Croatia vs France (UEFA Nations League)
10 June, 20.45 CEST: Austria vs France (UEFA Nations League)
13 June, 20.45 CEST: France vs Croatia (UEFA Nations League)
Exequiel Palacios – Argentina
1 June, 20.45 CEST: Italy vs Argentina (Finalissima)
Piero Hincapie – Ecuador
3 June, 02.30 CEST: Ecuador vs Nigeria (Friendly)
6 June, 01.30 CEST: Mexico vs Ecuador (Friendly)
12 June, 23.30 CEST: Ecuador vs Cape Verde (Friendly)
Edmond Tapsoba – Burkina Faso
3. June, 21.00 CEST: Burkina Faso vs Cape Verde Islands (AFCON qualifier)
7. June, 15.00 CEST: Eswatini vs Burkina Faso (AFCON qualifier)
Odilon Kossounou – Ivory Coast
3 June, 21.00 CEST: Ivory Coast vs Zambia (AFCON qualifier)
9 June, 21.00 CEST: Lesotho vs Ivory Coast (AFCON qualifier)
Mitchel Bakker – Netherlands U21
3 June, 18.45 CEST: Moldova U21 vs Netherlands U21 (Euro qualifier)
7 June, 20.00 CEST: Netherlands U21 vs Gibraltar U21 (Euro qualifier)
11 June, 18.00 CEST: Wales U21 vs Netherlands U 21 (Euro qualifier)

The Werkself conceded a goal at home for the first time since the beginning of January 67 minutes into the game against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday. Jarell Quansah levelled late on for the final score of 1-1 to secure a point and avoid a first home defeat in six games. Bayer 04 were very critical of their performance after the game. The Werkself review.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personalised Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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From special edition jerseys to fan banners, the home game against Mainz 05 was all about the many Bayer 04 fan clubs. Accordingly, a fitting tribute to the long-standing Werkself supporters was not to be missed during half-time in the Bundesliga match. Fernando Carro, CEO, honoured the up to 50-year anniversaries of six fan clubs in front of the coaches' benches at the BayArena.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 1-1 draw against Mainz 05 on Matchday 24 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season...

A late goal secured a point for Bayer 04 at home to FSV Mainz 05 in a match that saw the Black and Reds dominant in the second half. Despite lots of possession, the Werkself initially found few gaps and fell behind after 67 minutes when Sheraldo Becker scored in a Mainz counter-attack. In the closing stages, Leverkusen threw everything forward once again and equalised through Jarell Quansah (88').
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