Werkself player Exequiel Palacios was on the winning side for Argentina in the clash between the Copa América winners and the European champions with a 3-0 victory over Italy on Wednesday night. While it is the second Finalissima title for La Albiceleste from South America following on from 1993, Palacios had the trophy in his hands for the first time at Wembley Stadium. The 23-year-old midfielder came on as a substitute on 75 minutes.
For Palacios, at Leverkusen since January 2020, it is his second title for Argentina since winning the COPA America last year. At club level with the top-flight Argentinian side River Plate, he has already won the national cup (2017 and 2019) plus the South American equivalent of the Champions League in 2018. The Werkself number 25 has made 19 full international appearances to date and 52 for the Black and Reds. Congratulations, Pala.
Werkself players are in action for their countries in the next few days. Mitchel Bakker makes a start from a Black and Red perspective before the weekend with the Netherlands U21s in a Euros qualifier against Moldova (Friday 3 June, 18.45 CEST).
Two hours after the kick-off in the U21 Euros qualifier comes the game for France with Moussa Diaby against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League. From 21.00 CEST Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) and Odilon Kossounou (Ivory Coast) have their first matches in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations.
In the night from Friday to Saturday, Ecuador with Piero Hincapie have a friendly against Nigeria (kick-off: 02.30 CEST), and on Saturday night there are the Nations League games for Germany with Jonathan Tah against Italy as well as for Finland with goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Here are the upcoming internationals involving Leverkusen players.
A great honour for Heung-min Son: The former Werkself player (2013 to 2015) receives the highest sporting award in his home country South Korea on this Thursday afternoon. The 29-year-old star striker who has played for the top English club Tottenham Hotspur since his move from Bayer 04 in 2015 received the Cheongnyong medal from state president Yoon Suk-Yeol ahead of the international against Brazil (1-5). The former Leverkusen player became the first Asian player to be top goalscorer in the Premier League with 23 goals in 35 league matches.
Today (Thursday), Paulo Sergio, the most prolific Brazilian in a Werkself shirt, celebrates his 53rd birthday – Bayer 04 wish many happy returns. Paulo Sérgio Silvestre do Nascimento, his full name, made 121 Bundesliga appearances for the Black and Reds (47 goals) from 1993 to 1997. After his four years at Leverkusen, the 1994 World Cup winner moved on to AS Roma and then Bayern Munich.
Today is also the birthday of former Leverkusen player Fredrik Stenman (February 2006 to June 2007 – 28 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer 04), who is now 39 years old. The third birthday boy is the 45-year-old Iranian Dariush Yazdani, Who played at Leverkusen in the second half of the 1998/99 season making one appearance for the Black and Reds. Many happy returns to you too.
A first win in the preseason: In the last friendly before the start of a two-week break in training, the Bayer 04 Women beat top-flight Dutch side Ajax 1-0. In the match played over three 30-minute thirds Vanessa Fudalla scored the goal for the Werkself. In the previous two friendlies this summer, the team led by head coach Roberto Pätzold lost 2-0 two Bundesliga rivals TSG Hoffenheim and drew 1-1 with the Dutch team PEC Zwolle.
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The current Werkself player Arthur, global star Vinícius Júnior and Brazil legend Zico – they all played for the youth teams at CR Flamengo. The U20 team at the big club from Rio de Janeiro is one of the best academies in Brazil and has produced a lot of stars as well as securing national and international trophies over the past few years. Ahead of the friendly against the Werkself today, Friday 18 July (kick-off: 14:30/19:30 CEST) bayer04.de profiles the highly successful youth team.
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Alejo Sarco has joined the Werkself training camp in Brazil. The 19-year-old striker, signed from Argentinian club Vélez Sarsfield in January, talks to bayer04.de about his first six months in Germany, help from Exequiel Palacios and his targets up to the end of the year.
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The friendly against the CR Flamengo U20 team on Friday, 18 July (kick-off: 14:30/19:30 CEST) represents the sporting highlight of the current Bayer 04 Brazil Tour. Ahead of the clash at the Estádio da Gávea against the highly successful youth team, there was a media event with the two Bayer 04 managing directors Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes plus head coach Erik ten Hag. The trio talked about the forthcoming opponents, first impressions of Brazil and the reasons for holding the training camp in the land of the five-time World Cup winners. Here are the key statements.
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