
In the qualifying tournament for the Olympics, Paulinho clocked up the third win in three games with the Brazil U23 team. The Seleção Olimpica beat Bolivia 5-3 in the penultimate group match for the play-offs. That means the Brazil U23s are through ahead of the final group game against Paraguay on Friday 31 January. Paulinho was in the starting line-up against Bolivia and he was substituted on 76 minutes with the score at 4-2.
The South American Association CONMEBOL has two places at the Olympic Games – a total of ten countries are battling in two groups in the qualification tournament. The top two teams in group stages will play each other to determine who will qualify.

Issa Traoré is moving from Bayer 04 Leverkusen to Slovakian top-flight side AS Trencin. The club has loaned the centre-back out for one year to this year’s ninth-placed team in the Slovakian league.
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Assistant coach Remzi Kahraman is leaving the Bayer 04 Women’s team with immediate effect to take up a new challenge abroad. The club has agreed to the 31-year-old’s request to leave, although his contract was originally due to run until 2027. A decision on his successor will be announced shortly.
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At the U19 European Championship in Wales, the Germany U19 national team lost their third and final group match 4-0 to Spain. Several regulars, including Bayer 04 players Montrell Culbreath and Francis Onyeka (on loan to SV Elversberg), who had combined for four goals and assists in the two previous victories, did not feature,. Germany had already secured their place in the semi-finals with a game to spare.
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Two weeks into the preseason, the Bayer 04 Women have secured their first victory. Coach Roberto Pätzold’s team won their first friendly 2–0 against Bundesliga newcomers Mainz 05. In front of 160 spectators at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, the two summer signings, Maja Sternad (80’) and Justine Brandau (90’), scored for the Black and Reds.
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