Löw has selected 24 players, including Max Meyer, Julian Brandt and Niklas Süle who won silver medals a week ago at Rio 2016. Commenting on the trio, Löw said : “Max Meyer and Julian Brandt have already been with us and we wanted to get to know Niklas Süle. The three youngsters earned their call-ups through their very good performances. I think they see the call-up as motivation and inspiration to produce consistent performances. With players like them we are looking to take the next step in their development. They have great potential. As a general rule: The door to the national side is open. I’m sure other players will get their chance in the coming months.”
For Karim Bellarabi and Kevin Volland this represents a return to the Germany squad after missing out on Euro 2016.
Next Wednesday’s international against Finland will be the final international appearance for Bastian Schweinsteiger. The captain announced his international retirement a few days after the Euros and the game against the Scandinavians will be cap number 121 for the 32-year-old. The game in Mönchengladbach was also supposed to present a chance for Lukas Podolski to bid farewell on the international stage. Due to injury, Podolski will have to catch up at a later date.
The Golden Boy Top 100 traditionally lists Europe’s most promising young players. In the latest update, published to mark the start of the new season, four current Werkself players – alongside loanee Francis Onyeka – feature on the list. This means Bayer 04 have the most players in contention of any Bundesliga club.
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Goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe will continue to play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen next season. The loan of the Germany U23 international, who joined from Liverpool in the winter, has been extended by a further year.
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The Bayer 04 delegation, led by Fernando Carro, CEO, concluded their multi-day trip to Brazil with a visit to the community-based organisation Bola Pra Frente in Rio de Janeiro – founded by former Werkself player Jorginho. During the visit, Bayer 04 committed to extending support for the Bola Pra Frente project for a further five years. In addition, Jorginho, a member of the Brazil 1994 World Cup-winning squad, was named Bayer 04’s second official club legend. With the visit to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the club has strengthened the relationships built up over the years in one of Bayer 04’s most important international markets.
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Ten years after retiring as a player, Kristina Sundov is returning to the Bayer 04 Women’s team as assistant coach. The 39-year-old former Croatia international takes over from Remzi Kahraman, who has taken up a new challenge abroad. She has been given a contract to 30 June 2028.
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The training pitches at the BayArena are already buzzing with activity again, even before training officially begins next week. On Monday morning, a small group from the Werkself first-team squad completed a session lasting around an hour. Both new and familiar faces were present.
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