
The Czech Republic with Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek suffered a resounding 4-0 defeat against Portugal at home in Prague in the Nations League on Saturday night 24 September. Both Werkself players were in the starting line-up with Hlozek being substituted on 63 minutes. Schick missed a penalty in added time at the end of the first half. The Czechs are now fourth in Group 2 in League A. The next match for Schick, Hlozek and Co. is on Tuesday 27 September (kick-off: 20.45 CEST) against Switzerland in St Gallen.
Finland with Lukas Hradecky missed the chance to go second in Group 3 of League B in the Nations League on Friday 23 September after a 1-1 draw against Romania. The Werkself skipper led the Finland team out as captain as he made his 79th international appearance. Hradecky and Co. are away to Montenegro in Podgorica in their next match. The game is on Monday 26 September at 20.45 CEST.
The Ivory Coast beat Togo 2-1 in a friendly in Rouen on Saturday. Odilon Kossounou was in the starting eleven and he played the full 90 minutes.
The Iran national team with Sardar Azmoun also won their friendly on Friday night with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in St. Pölten. The Werkself number nine was on from the start and he was substituted on 70 minutes.
Edmond Tapsoba was also a winner with Burkina Faso. The friendly against Congo DR ended with a 1-0 win on Friday night. The defender played the full 90 minutes.
Piero Hincapie and the Ecuador national team were involved in a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in a friendly in Murcia on Friday night. The central defender gained his 20th international cap with La Tri and he went the full distance.
Chile with Charles Aránguiz lost 2-0 in their friendly against Morocco in Barcelona on Friday night. The midfielder played the first 45 minutes for La Roja in his 95th international appearance.
Two games, two wins: Zidan Sertdemir and the Denmark U19 side beat Georgia 3-1 in their first match in the Euro qualifiers on Wednesday 21 September. The Werkself number 29 played from the start on the right side of midfield and he was substituted on 68 minutes. The second match against Montenegro on Saturday also ended in a victory for Sertdemir and Co. with an emphatic 6-1 win. Sertdemir was taken off on 54 minutes.
The Netherlands U21 team, including Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker, beat Belgium 2-1 away on Friday night in a friendly in Leuven. Frimpong played the whole match, Bakker was in the starting line-up but was substituted on 75 minutes.
Remaining international fixtures for Bayer 04 players:
Patrik Schick and Adam Hlozek (Nations League)
27.09., 20.45 CEST, Switzerland vs Czech Republic, St. Gallen
Lukas Hradecky (Nations League)
26.09., 20.45 CEST, Montenegro vs Finland, Podgorica
Odilon Kossounou (Friendly)
27.09., 20 CEST, Guinea vs Ivory Coast, Le Havre
Edmond Tapsoba (Friendly)
27.09., 19 CEST, Burkina Faso vs Comoros, Casablanca
Sardar Azmoun (Friendly)
27.09., 16.30 CEST, Iran vs Senegal, Vienna
Charles Aránguiz (Friendly)
27.09., 19.00 CEST, Qatar vs Chile, Vienna
Piero Hincapie (Friendly)
27.09., 19.30 CEST, Ecuador vs Japan, Düsseldorf
Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker (U21 friendly)
27.09., 18.00 CEST, Romania vs Netherlands, Cluj
Zidan Sertdemir (U19 Euros qualifier)
27.09., 14.00 CEST, Denmark vs England, Hobro

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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