Germany coach Joachim Löw welcomed 14 of his 28-man squad the training session at the Stadium of fourth division Fortuna Köln on Monday. With Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Tah in the squad, the 60-year-old started preparing his players for the friendly against Turkey in Cologne on Wednesday, 7 October (kick-off: 20.45 CEST). Several current and former Werkself players could be in the Germany starting line-up for this clash: In addition to Tah and Amiri, Bernd Leno (Arsenal), Benjamin Henrichs (Leipzig), Julian Brandt (Dortmund) and Kai Havertz (Chelsea) can all hope to play - and they could be up against another former Leverkusen player in Hakan Calhanoglu (AC Milan).
14 other Werkself players have been called up in addition to Amiri and Tah. While the Greece international Panos Retsos joined St Etienne on loan on deadline day, two Black and Red players miss out through injury: Patrik Schick (Czech Republic) and Moussa Diaby (France U21s) both suffered injury in the 1-1 draw at Stuttgart and are now working on their comebacks at the ‘Werkstatt’ in Leverkusen.
Bayer 04 captain Charles Aránguiz and new signing Santiago Arias face each other with their national sides in South America. Chile and Colombia meet in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday morning at 02.30 CEST.
Jonathan Tah and Nadiem Amiri (Germany):
Wednesday, 7 October (20.45 CEST/live on RTL): Germany v Turkey (Friendly)
Saturday, 10 October (20.45 CEST/live on ARD): Ukraine v Germany (UEFA Nations League)
Tuesday, 13. October (20.45 CEST/live on ARD): Germany v Switzerland (UEFA Nations League)
Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger (Austria):
Wednesday, 7 October (20.30 CEST/live on DAZN): Austria v Greece (Friendly)
Sunday, 11 October (20.45 CEST/live on DAZN): Northern Ireland v Austria (UEFA Nations League)
Wednesday, 14 October (20.45 CEST/live on DAZN): Romania v Austria (UEFA Nations League)
Lukas Hradecky (Finland):
Wednesday, 7 October (20.45 CEST/live on DAZN): Poland v Finland (Friendly)
Sunday, 11 October (18.00 CEST/live on DAZN): Finland v Bulgaria (UEFA Nations League)
Wednesday, 14 October (18.00 CEST/live on DAZN): Finland v Ireland (UEFA Nations League)
Tin Jedvaj (Croatia):
Wednesday, 7 October (20.45 CEST/live on DAZN): Switzerland v Croatia (Friendly)
Sunday, 11 October (18 .00 CEST/live on DAZN): Croatia v Sweden (UEFA Nations League)
Wednesday, 14 October (20.45 CEST/live on DAZN): Croatia v France (UEFA Nations League)
Lucas Alario and Exequiel Palacios (Argentina):
Friday, 9 October (02.10 CEST): Argentina v Ecuador (World Cup qualifier)
Tuesday, 13 October (22.00 CEST): Bolivia v Argentina (World Cup qualifier)
Charles Aránguiz (Chile):
Friday, 9 October (00.45 CEST): Uruguay v Chile (World Cup qualifier)
Tuesday, 14 October (02.30 CEST): Chile v Colombia (World Cup qualifier)
Santiago Arias (Colombia):
Saturday, 10 October (01.30 CEST): Colombia v Venezuela (World Cup qualifier)
Tuesday, 14 October (02.30 CEST): Chile v Colombia (World Cup qualifier)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso):
Friday, 9 October: Burkina Faso v Republic of the Congo (Friendly)
Monday, 12 October: Burkina Faso v Madagascar (Friendly)
Lennart Grill and Florian Wirtz (Germany U21):
Friday, 9 October (18.15 CEST/live on ProSieben MAXX): Moldova U21 v Germany U21 (Euro U21 qualifier)
Tuesday, 13 October (18.15 CEST/live on ProSieben MAXX): Germany U21 v Bosnia-Herzegovina U21 (Euro U21 qualifier)
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
Show more
Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
Show more
Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
Show more
A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
Show more
