The Werkself number 20 played the full 90 minutes in midfield and he repaid the confidence shown by Chile coach Reinaldo Rueda with two assists at 1-0 and 3-0 and he also started the move for the second goal – the 29-year-old was voted Man of the Match by the fans. The win takes Chile to the top of Group C ahead of Uruguay, Japan and Ecuador. La Roja play the last-named team next on Saturday (22 June, 01.00 CET).
Leon Bailey made a successful start to his international career. Playing in his home town of Kingston, he featured in the first group match in the Gold Cup (15 June to 7 July in the USA, Costa Rica and Jamaica) - also overnight - with Jamaica winning 3-2 against Honduras. The victory sees Jamaica lead Group C in the championships of North and Central America plus the Caribbean. The 21-year-old, who made his debut for the Reggae Boyz wearing the number 7 shirt, went the full distance and also provided the assist from the left flank for the opener scored by Dever Orgil. Bailey and Jamaica take on second-placed El Salvador next on Saturday (22 June, 01.00 CET).
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have appointed Carles Martínez Novell as the new head coach. The 42-year-old Spaniard worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. Martínez finished last term in ninth place with the club from the south of France. He will take over the Werkself on 1 July 2026 and has signed a contract to 30 June 2028. Martínez, whose contract with Toulouse expires at the end of the month, succeeds Kasper Hjulmand at Leverkusen, who is leaving the club after one season.
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Welcome to Leverkusen, Carles Martínez Novell. Bayer 04 have appointed the 42-year-old Spaniard as the new head coach on a contract to 2028. Martínez most recently worked for FC Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 until the end of the season. He previously spent four years at Barcelona's legendary academy La Masia in his home city. Bayer04.de introduces Martínez in more detail.
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Bayer 04 plans for the 2026/27 pre-season continue to take shape. The Werkself will kick off the new season in mid-July with the return to the training ground. The highlight will be the official season opener on 8 August at the BayArena, including a friendly against La Liga club Sevilla. Friendlies in Germany will take the team to neighbouring Monheim, Offenbach and Jena.
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Strengthening the Bayer 04 Leverkusen youth teams: Konstantinos Kotsifakis will join the Werkself from Bundesliga 2 club Hertha Berlin for the 2026/27 season, where he will be a permanent member of the Leverkusen U19 coaching set-up. The German-Greek will also take on an operational role in coaching the Bayer 04 Future Team. The 29-year-old was most recently head coach of the U17s at Hertha Berlin.
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Another award for the Bayer 04 head groundsman and staff: After coming top in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2024/25 seasons, the BayArena pitch came second in the Bundesliga Pitch of the Year ranking for the 2025/26 season. VfL Wolfsburg secured the top spot this year, with TSG Hoffenheim in third place.
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