The Germany U21 coach Stefan Kuntz announced his squad for the Euro group stage at the start of the week. The 58-year-old called up another Leverkusen player in addition to goalkeeper Lennart Grill (see report HERE). In the list of offensive players called up there is one Black and Red player missing who was on the pitch for all the recent Germany U21 games: Florian Wirtz.
Following the announcement by Kuntz, the Germany coach Joachim Löw revealed that the 17-year-old Werkself player is intended to join the senior team during the coming international break. "I think you can now say we are planning on both of them joining us," said Löw in an interview with RTL/ntv regarding Wirtz and Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala (18). Looking forward to the Euros in the summer, it is "good that I can see how they perform in our group for a couple of days and that is perhaps a good indicator in terms of the tournament," said Löw about the two youngsters.
In the next international break at the end of the march, Germany play their World Cup qualifiers against Iceland (25 March/Duisburg), Romania (28 March/Bucharest) and North Macedonia (31 March/Duisburg). Löw will announce the final squad for the three matches on Friday 19 March.
In a good mood and keen to play, Werkself player Paulinho returned to the training ground at the BayArena on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Brazilian took part in sections of full training for the first time since his torn cruciate at the start of July last year. The offensive player is set to increase his workload in the coming days and weeks.
Paulinho was signed from the top-flight Brazilian club Vasco da Gama in the summer of 2018. The midfielder made 19 appearances for the Werkself in 2019/20, scoring three goals and providing two assists along the way.
Professional football has been subjected to a large number of changes since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. In the current edition of SPORT BILD of 17 March, Dr. Karl-Heinrich Dittmar, medical director and pandemics officer at Bayer 04, discusses the effects of the pandemic on his day-to-day work and the Werkself. In the interview, the 58-year-old provides insights into the coronavirus testing for the Werkself players, contact with 17 health authorities as well as medical checks via video.
Clash with the former club: Hertha Berlin entertain the Werkself at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday 21 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET). A former Leverkusen player will be in the dugout for the host team: Andreas Neuendorf has been working as an assistant to Hertha head coach Pal Dardai since the end of January.
Neuendorf spent part of his career as a professional footballer at Leverkusen. The Berlin-born player joined Bayer 04 from Reinickendorfer Füchse in 1994. In the following three and a half years, the midfielder made 49 Bundesliga appearances for the Werkself. He gained his nickname 'Zecke' (tick) during his time at Leverkusen, which Bayer 04 legend Ulf Kirsten gave him at a training camp due to a tick bite.
After two and a half years as a player with Hertha, Neuendorf returned to Leverkusen for the 2000/01 season before again playing for the Old Lady. In addition to his job as assistant coach to Dardai, he is also on a DFB coaches course.
Admir Mehmedi can look back at an extremely successful season with VfL Wolfsburg to date: The Swiss international and his teammates are in third place after 25 games. Before his time at Wolfsburg the versatile offensive player was at Bayer 04.
Mehmedi joined Leverkusen from Freiburg in the summer of 2015. He went on to play for the Werkself for two and a half years making 62 Bundesliga appearances. The champion of Switzerland from 2009 was 30 on Tuesday: A belated happy birthday.
Who remembers it? Exactly 20 years ago – on 17 March 2001 – the Werkself were away to Borussia Dortmund. On seven minutes, Bernd Schneider received the ball in the centre circle – and he volleyed it over the head of the BVB keeper Jens Lehmann into the back of the Dortmund net. 'Schnix' not only launched a deserved 3-1 win with his opener but he also scored the Goal of the Month for March 2001. HERE is a video of his strike.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have loaned new signing Luca Erlein to newly promoted FC Energie Cottbus for the 2026/27 season. This will give him the opportunity to play in Bundesliga 2. The club signed the 19-year-old right-back on a permanent basis last week, on a contract to 30 June 2030.
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Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed Germany U19 international Luca Erlein from Hoffenheim. The 19-year-old right-back, who is capable of playing in various defensive positions, has penned a contract until 30 June 2030.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
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