For Julian Brandt, who played just under 70 minutes in the friendly against Austria on Saturday, it will be his first big, international tournament after he failed to make the final squad for Euro 2016. Last summer, the 22-year-old was part of the 'Mannschaft' that won the Confederations Cup in Russia. Löw said the Werkself number 10 had shown "good potential" and "also worked well here at the training camp." The offensive midfielder will wear the number 20 shirt at the World Cup in Russia – as he will in Germany's final friendly against Saudi Arabia at the BayArena on Friday (8 June, 19.30 CET).
Not included in the 23-man squad – consisting of three goalkeepers and 20 outfield players – are Leroy Sané (Manchester City) and Nils Petersen (SC Freiburg) plus the other two Werkself players Jonathan Tah and Bernd Leno. "There are certainly better days in the life of the national coach than having to send home four great players who deserve to be at the World Cup. We are, and remain, confident of their ability and quality. I've spoken to the four players and they're very, very disappointed. It wasn't an easy decision for us to make," read the statement from Germany coach Joachim Löw.
"Both Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno are good goalkeepers. We opted for Bernd in the Euros and this time for Kevin. Both are at the same high level," said Löw in explaining his choice of third goalkeeper after the return of captain Manuel Neuer in time following a long injury lay-off to be first choice ahead of Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona). The World Cup winner of 2014 showed sympathy for the Werkself number one: "Above all, I'm sorry for Bernd that he has to leave now. We all know he's a brilliant keeper," said Neuer.
Most experts predicted in recent days that Jonathan Tah would not be in the final squad – and the Germany coach echoed that on Monday: "He was a bit of back-up for Jérôme Boateng but he has progressed well in his time with us. He's had a good season. He's a player for the future as he's a great talent. Like Nils Petersen and Leroy Sané, he'll be back in September as it's well worth carrying on working with these players."
Just in time for the start of the school year, everyone was hard at work again at NaturGut Ophoven. For the 21st time, Bayer 04 have supported the annual ‘BioBrotbox’ campaign, which puts together a healthy breakfast for first-year primary school pupils in Leverkusen – and not only contributed 1,904 muesli bars but also plenty of enthusiasm too: Together with the U19 players Burak Kir and Clinton Wilson, Emily Wallrabenstein and Paulina Platner from the Women’s Bundesliga team helped with the packing. The latter was clearly delighted “that Bayer 04 are helping out with regional projects like this and showing their commitment to the local community”.
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A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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