The winger was in the starting eleven on Monday night for the France U21s in Azerbaijan. The game ended in a 2-1 victory that saw Moussa Diaby and Co. secure important points in the race to qualify for the U21 European Championships next year. France remain second in Group 2 but are top in the rankings of the second-placed teams – making qualification for the Euros appear almost certain.
Also on Monday night, Austria entertained Romania in the Nations League. Werkself stalwart Julian Baumgartlinger led his team onto the field as captain with Aleksandar Dragovic on the bench this time. Austria were unable to build on their 2-1 win in the opening game against Norway; they suffered a 3-2 defeat against Romania. Baumgartlinger and Co. are now second in Group 1 (League B).
There was a double blow for the Germany U21s, with Werkself keeper Lennart Grill in the side, in the middle of the first half against Belgium. Central defender Amos Pieper was shown a red card on 18 minutes for a professional foul and the resulting free kick ended up in the back of the net (19'). Lukas Nmecha levelled for Germany on the half-hour mark. However, the hosts succeeded in clocking up a 4-1 win. Grill and Co. now have to worry about qualifying for the U21 European Championships. Germany are currently fifth in the ranking of second-placed teams – the last position that ensures qualification for the Euros.
There was a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final in Paris on Tuesday night. World Cup winners France entertained Croatia in League A (Group 3) of the Nations League – and again left the pitch as winners. At the end of an entertaining encounter, the French side secured a 4-2 victory. Werkself player Tin Jedvaj did not play for Croatia on the night.
New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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