Goalkeeper Lennart Grill and rising star Florian Wirtz are set to play for Germany in the quest for the U21 EURO title from 31 May. Stefan Kuntz called up the Werkself duo on Sunday afternoon for his squad for the knockout phase. Grill, Wirtz and Co. secured progress in the first part of the two-section tournament by finishing second in Group A. The opponents in the quarter-finals are Denmark.
Four Bayer 04 players are involved in the European Championship: While the Austrians including Aleksandar Dragovic and Austria captain Julian Baumgartlinger face the Netherlands, Ukraine and North Macedonia in Group C, the Czech Republic team, with Bayer 04 striker Patrik Schick, take on Scotland, England and Croatia in Group D.
Markku Kanerva, in charge of Finland, can count on the services of Werkself keeper Lukas Hradecky. The 31-year-old was able to celebrate participation in the group stage of a European Championship for the first time with Finland. Also in the squad: Joel Pohjanpalo who is currently on loan at Union Berlin.
At the same time as EURO 2020, there will also be football on the South American continent. Werkself captain Charles Aránguiz is currently involved with Chile in the World Cup qualifiers as well as the Copa América being staged in Argentina and Colombia. The midfielder played the full 90 minutes in five out of six games in the South American equivalent of the European Championship two years ago.
The Argentina duo Exequiel Palacios and Lucas Alario have also being called up for the Albiceleste squad but it appears unlikely the two Werkself players will be able to play in the South American championship due to a groin injury (Palacios) and a thigh injury (Alario).
Edmond Tapsoba and Moussa Diaby are also on the road with their national teams. The Bayer 04 defender is set to play for Burkina Faso in two friendlies against the Ivory Coast and Morocco a week later. Diaby and his French teammates are already well advanced in the U21 European Championship – after successfully progressing through the group stage, which finished at the end of March, the U21 Équipe Tricolore team trained by Silvain Ripoll meet the Netherlands for a place in the semi-finals.
Lennart Grill and Florian Wirtz (Germany U21s):
Monday, 31 May (21.00 CEST): Denmark U21 v Germany U21 (U21 Euro quarter-final)
Thursday, 3 June (18/21.00 CEST): potential U21 Euro semi-final
Sunday, 6 June (21.00 CEST): potential U21 Euro semi-final
Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger (Austria):
Wednesday, 2 June (21.00 CEST): England v Austria (Friendly)
Sunday, 6 June (17.30 CEST): Austria v Slovakia (Friendly)
Sunday, 13 June (18.00 CEST): Austria v North Macedonia (EURO)
Thursday, 17 June (21.00 CEST): Netherlands v Austria (EURO)
Monday, 21 June (18.00 CEST): Ukraine v Austria (EURO)
Lukas Hradecky (Finland):
Saturday, 29 May (18.00 CEST): Sweden v Finland (Friendly)
Friday, 4 June (18.00 CEST): Finland v Estonia (Friendly)
Saturday 12 June (18.00 CEST): Denmark v Finland (EURO)
Wednesday, 16 June (15.00 CEST): Finland v Russia (EURO)
Monday, 21 June (21.00 CEST): Finland v Belgium (EURO)
Patrik Schick (Czech Republic):
Friday 4 June (20.45 CEST): Italy v Czech Republic (Friendly)
Tuesday, 8 June (20.15 CEST): Czech Republic v Albania (Friendly)
Monday, 14 June (15.00 CEST): Scotland v Czech Republic (EURO)
Friday, 18 June (18.00 CEST): Croatia v Czech Republic (EURO)
Tuesday, 22 June (21.00 CEST): Czech Republic v England (EURO)
Charles Aránguiz (Chile):
Friday, 4 June (02.00 CEST): Argentina v Chile (World Cup qualifier)
Wednesday, 9 June (03.30 CEST): Chile v Bolivia (World Cup qualifier)
Sunday, 13 June (23.00 CEST): Argentina v Chile (Copa América)
Thursday, 17 June (23.00 CEST): Chile v Bolivia (Copa América)
Sunday, 20 June (22.00 CEST): Uruguay v Chile (Copa América)
Lucas Alario and Exequiel Palacios (Argentina):
Friday, 4 June (02.00 CEST): Argentina v Chile (World Cup qualifier)
Wednesday, 9 June (01.00 CEST): Colombia v Argentina (World Cup qualifier)
Sunday, 13 June (23.00 CEST): Argentina v Chile (Copa América)
Friday, 18 June (02.00 CEST): Argentina v Uruguay (Copa América)
Monday, 21 June (01.00 CEST): Argentina v Paraguay (Copa América)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso):
Saturday, 5 June (14.00 CEST): Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso (Friendly)
Saturday, 12 June (21.00 CEST): Morocco v Burkina Faso (Friendly)
Moussa Diaby (France U21):
Monday, 31 May (18.00 CEST): Netherlands U21 v France U21 (U21 EURO quarter-final)
Thursday, 3 June (18/21.00 CEST): potential U21 EURO semi-final
Sunday, 6 June (21.00 CEST): potential U21 EURO semi-final
*Central European Summer Time (CEST)
Tickets for the first two Bayer 04 women’s team home games are now on general sale. A week after their league opener away at RB Leipzig, Roberto Pätzold’s side will face last season’s runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, in the first home fixture on Sunday 30 August (kick-off: 16:00 CEST). Fifteen days later, on Monday night, 14 September (kick-off: 18:00 CEST), the Leverkusen Women host German champions Bayern Munich at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium for a top-of-the-table league clash. You can now also select specific seats via the online shop. The latest information on match ticket sales.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Werkself TV shows the highlights of the 2-1 victory in the friendly match against FC Sevilla...
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Back at the BayArena at last! For the first time since the summer break, the Werkself played at their home ground in the 2026 season launch – and went on to beat Sevilla in the fifth preseason friendly. Patrik Schick turned the game around after Miguel Sierra put the visitors ahead (16’), scoring twice in the second half (66’, 79’) to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans in the new seats at the BayArena. New signing Miguel Gutiérrez was delighted to provide the assist for the equaliser on his debut under the Bayer Cross.
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