Back
19.03.2023Bayer 04

#InternationalWerkself: 14 players called up to their national teams

A number of Werkself players will be on the pitch again in the international break: 14 Leverkusen players have been called up to their national teams.
crop_imago1008013786h.jpg

The 19-year-old Bayer 04 player Florian Wirtz has been called up to the Germany squad for the first time since his torn cruciate in March of last year. The team under coach Hansi Flick will play two friendly fixtures in the coming international break: First against Peru in Mainz on 25 March and the opponents three days later in Cologne are Belgium.

start of euro qualifiers

Seven Werkself players will be in action in European qualifiers. Moussa Diaby has been called up to the France team with the first match against the Netherlands on Friday 24 March. The Équipe Tricolore are in Dublin three days later to play Ireland.

The Czech Adam Hlozek will be with his national team for a Euro qualifier in Prague against Poland on 24 March. The Leverkusen player then heads to Chisinau three days later for the game against Moldova. Werkself skipper Lukas Hradecky also has two games with the Finland team in the Euro qualifiers: Finland play Denmark next Thursday 23 March. Northern Ireland provide the opposition in Belfast three days later. Austria with the Leverkusen winter signing Patrick Pentz in the squad are preparing for two matches in Linz. Azerbaijan are the opposition on Friday 24 March and that is followed three days later by the international against Estonia.

Duo in AFRICA CUP of nations qualifiers

Bayer 04 are also represented South of Europe: In Edmond Tapsoba and Odilon Kossounou, two Werkself players are in the qualifying rounds for the Africa Cup of Nations. Tapsoba has two matches with Burkina Faso against Togo and Kossounou and the Ivory Coast also play two games against the Comoros.

INTERNATIONAL friendlies 

In addition to Wirtz and the Germany team, for other Werkself players are involved with friendlies. World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios heads to Argentina where the Leverkusen player and his fellow countrymen first play Panama and then Curacao. For Piero Hincapie, the international break takes him to the other end of the world: Ecuador have two games against Australia in Melbourne. Sardar Azmoun faces Russia in the Iranian capital Teheran.

Mitchel Bakker and Jeremie Frimpong And the Netherlands U21 squad are in Spain. The Oranje team have two friendlies against the Northern Irish and Czech U21 teams. Amine Adli is with the France U21 side once in England and once in France.

Noah Mbamba will be Bremen with the Belgium U19s for games against Slovenia, Italy and Germany.

International fixtures involving Bayer 04 players:

Florian Wirtz (Friendlies):

25.03, 20.45 CET, Germany vs Peru, Mainz

28.03, 20.45 CEST, Germany vs Belgium, Cologne

Moussa Diaby (Euro qualifiers):

25.03, 20.45 CET, France vs Netherlands, Paris

27.03, 20.45 CEST, Ireland vs France, Dublin 

Adam Hlozek (Euro qualifiers):

24.03, 20.45 CET, Czechia vs Poland, Prague

27.03, 20.45 CEST, Moldova vs Czechia, Chisinau

Lukas Hradecky (Euro qualifiers):

23.03, 20.45 CET, Denmark vs Finland, Copenhagen

26.03, 20.45 CET, Northern Ireland vs Finland, Belfast

Patrick Pentz (Euro qualifiers):

24.03, 20.45 CET, Austria vs Azerbaijan, Linz

27.03, 20.45 CEST, Austria vs Estonia, Linz

Odilon Kossounou (Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers):

24.03, 17.00 CET, Ivory Coast vs Comoros, Bouaké

28.03, 15.00 CEST, Comoros vs Ivory Coast, Moroni

Edmond Tapsoba (Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers):

24.03, 21.00 CET, Burkina Faso vs Togo, Marrakesh

28.03, 21.00 CEST, Togo vs Burkina Faso, Lomé 

Exequiel Palacios (Friendlies):

24.03., 01.00 CET, Argentina vs Panama, Buenos Aires

28.03., Time TBC, Argentina vs Curacao, Santiago del Estero

Piero Hincapie (Friendlies):

24.03, 10.00 CET, Australia vs Ecuador, Melbourne

28.03, 10.30 CEST, Australia vs Ecuador, Melbourne

Sardar Azmoun (Friendly):

23.03, 17.00 CET, Iran vs Russia, Teheran

Mitchel Bakker and Jeremie Frimpong (U21 friendlies):

25.03, 18.00 CET, Northern Ireland U21 vs Netherlands U21, Pinatar 

27.03, 14.00 CEST, Czechia U21 vs Netherlands U21, Pinatar 

Amine Adli (U21 friendlies):

25.03, 18.00 CET, England U21 vs France U21, Leicester

28.03, 18.30 CEST, France U21 vs Spain U21, Vannes

Noah Mbamba (U19 tournament):

22.03, 16.00 CET, Slovenia U19 vs Belgium U19, Bremen

25.03, 16.00 CET, Belgium U19 vs Germany U19, Bremen

28.03, 12.00 CEST, Italy U19 vs Belgium U19, Bremen

 

Related News

Kurzpässe vor #FCUB04
Bundesliga - 21.02.2026

Matchday news #FCUB04: Continue unbeaten run at set-piece specialists Union Berlin

Sandwiched between their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off tie against Olympiacos, Bayer 04 return to Bundesliga action on Saturday with a trip to Union Berlin (kick-off: 15:30 CET). It’s a fixture of contrasting styles, with Leverkusen preferring to control the play while Union look to remain compact and counter. The Berliners are therefore suited to facing top teams, but they have only ever managed to win one of 16 meetings with the Werkself, who are looking for a fifth clean sheet of 2026 but will need to beware the home side’s threat from set pieces. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our matchday news.

Show more
Die PK vor dem Auswärtsspiel beim 1. FC Union Berlin | 23. Spieltag
Werkself-TV - 20.02.2026

Hjulmand ahead of #FCUB04: ‘We are not naive and will be alert’

After six wins in seven games, the Werkself will be looking to continue their winning run in the capital at FC Union Berlin. Coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke ahead of the match on Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET) about defenders, the short preparation time and the condition of the pitch at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

Show more
1. FC Union Berlin
Bundesliga - 20.02.2026

Our next opponents: Back on the road to success thanks to united approach

Union Berlin have performed particularly well against the top clubs in the Bundesliga this season with a draw at home to Bayern Munich and wins against VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. This Saturday, 21 February (kick-off: 15:30 CET), the Irons now welcome the Werkself, currently sixth in the table, to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. And the hosts are in desperate need of a win. The lowdown on our next opponents.

Show more
Jubel nach Abpfiff
Champions League - 19.02.2026

Werkself Review #OLYB04: 'The first step is done'

It took exactly 60 minutes for the Werkself to take the lead through a perfectly finished counter-attack by Patrik Schick in the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off at Olympiacos. Referring to the meeting in the league phase and the initially squandered opportunities, coach Kasper Hjulmand said afterwards: "I thought: 'Oh no, déjà-vu.'" But after the opening goal, it took just 144 seconds for the Czech to spark more wild celebrations among those in black and red in the Greek cauldron, when Schick nodded in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner. Much to the delight of the Bayer 04 fans, his teammates and his coach, who had warm words for the striker in the aftermath. The Werkself Review.

Show more