While all is quiet at club level for Bayer 04 since the last day of the 2020/21 Bundesliga season, there is international action at the moment. Several Werkself players have been in action for their countries. That also applies to the two South American Werkself players Charles Aránguiz and Exequiel Palacios. In the World Cup qualifiers, Chile with our captain, who played the full 90 minutes, drew 1-1 with Bolivia. The Black and Red midfield dynamo Exequiel Palacios came on as a substitute for Giovanni Lo Celso on 54 minutes in the game between the 'Albiceleste' and Colombia. This match also ended in a draw for Palacios and the Argentina national side – with a 2-2 scoreline after the team under head coach Lionel Scaloni gave away a 2-0 lead.
Another Werkself player was on international duty 10,000 kilometres away in the Generali Arena in Prague. In a friendly ahead of the forthcoming European Championship, the Czech team with Patrik Schick faced Albania. The Leverkusen striker opened the scoring on 18 minutes to set his team on course for a 3-1 victory.
Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger (Austria) were in the squad on Sunday for a friendly against Slovakia – the match ended in a goalless draw. The two Leverkusen players did not play. The Werkself shot-stopper Lukas Hradecky was between the sticks for the Eagle Owls. The Finland team under coach Markku Kanerva lost 1-0 to Estonia. Joel Pohjanpalo, on loan at Union Berlin last season, played for 61 minutes.
Talking about the European Championship: Werkself supporters will see one or two familiar faces at home on TV during the tournament that opens on Friday, 11 June with the match between Italy and Turkey (kick-off: 21.00 CEST). The former Bayer 04 youth and assistant coach Peter Hyballa is working for ZDF as a TV pundit for the Euros. Hyballa, who worked at the Performance Centre and with the senior squad from 2014 to 2016, will mainly contribute his tactical expertise.
The former Werkself defender Rudolf Wojtowicz is 65 years old today. The Pole, who was a member of the Black and Red defence from 1982 to 1986, made 80 appearances for the Werkself in four seasons and scored two goals along the way. Wojtowicz has been working as a scout for VfL Wolfsburg since 2010. In March 2021 he collapsed on the way to a scouting mission and was taken to hospital. Bayer 04 wish Rudolf many happy returns and all the best.
The clubs in the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga have opened a new chapter in the history of women's football in Germany. With the official founding act of the "Frauen-Bundesliga FBL e.V." on Wednesday afternoon in Frankfurt am Main, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the 13 other top-flight clubs have joined forces for the first time.
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The Bayer 04 U19s today, Wednesday 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET), host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday in the league phase of the UEFA Youth League. For coach Kevin Brok's team, the game against the English side is about securing a place in the next stage of the competition and a historic first appearance in the knockout phase. Werkself TV will broadcast the match live and free of charge from the Ulrich Haberland Stadium from 13:50 CET...
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Will Bayer 04 emulate their away wins at Benfica and Manchester City? Newcastle United are the visitors at a sold-out BayArena on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET/live on Werkself Radio) to round off the UEFA Champions League games for the year. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke in advance about the momentum in Europe's premier club competition and gave an encouraging personnel update. Jarell Quansah also spoke about his experiences playing against Nick Woltemade and his wish for the Bayer 04 fans.
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Newcastle United have amassed nine points after five matchdays, one more in the UEFA Champions League than the Werkself. The Magpies are also steadily improving in the Premier League, where they're currently unbeaten in four games. On Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 21:00 CET), Eddie Howe's side will be the visitors at the BayArena. He's also likely to field two Germany internationals in the game. The lowdown on our next opponents.
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The situation ahead of the showdown is clear - and promising. The Bayer 04 U19s host Newcastle United on the sixth and final matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Youth League phase. A win at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium would see the Werkself go through to the knockout stages of the competition for the first time. Ahead of the clash on Wednesday, 10 December (kick-off: 14:00 CET/livestream on bayer04.de and in the Bayer 04 app), coach Kevin Brok spoke about the successful build-up, his assessment of the match and the danger of underestimating the already eliminated English side.
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