
Following discussion between Germany coach Joachim Löw and Germany U21 coach Stefan Kuntz, Jonathan Tah has travelled to Amsterdam today. The Bayer 04 defender has been called up to the senior squad for Tuesday's Nations League game away to France in Paris (20.45 CET, live on ARD). On Friday, Tah captained the Germany U21 team in the 2-1 win against Norway to put Germany through to the 2019 European Championships in Italy and San Marino.
Stefan Kuntz said: "Jonathan has demonstrated his leadership role in exemplary fashion. He has totally focused on us qualifying for the European Championships and he led the way in the game against Norway. He has absolutely deserved his call-up to the senior squad." Jonathan Tah responded to the unexpected call-up as follows. "Firstly, I'm really happy about the win against Norway. Our clear target was to go through to the European Championships finals and we've achieved that with an impressive and battling performance. Of course, I'm now very happy about the call-up to the Germany squad. It's a great sign of approval from the national coach that he called me up for the game in France."
Tah was captain of the Germany U21's on Friday night as the Bayer 04 central defender helped take Germany through to next year's European Championship finals in Italy and San Marino. Germany secured a 2-1 win against major rivals Norway in front of a 4,300 crowd in Ingolstadt and thereby qualify for the European Championship finals ahead of Tuesday's match against Ireland in Heidenheim (18.00 CET). Tah provided the assist for Germany's opener scored by Schalke player Cedric Teuchert with a diagonal pass from his own half. Luca Waldschmidt (Freiburg) doubled the lead (31') before Norway pulled a goal back on 46 minutes. Former Werkself team-mate Benny Henrichs (now at AS Monaco) played alongside Tah at left back for the full 90 minutes.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have agreed Kerim Alajbegovic’s transfer to Italian record champions Juventus. The club brought the 18-year-old attacking player back to Leverkusen this summer via a buy-back option, following a season at Red Bull Salzburg. Until his move to Austria, the Bosnia international had been playing for Bayer 04’s Under-19s.
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With 22 days to go until the start of the Bundesliga campaign, the Bayer 04 Women’s team have gained a fresh boost of confidence. In a friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk on Saturday afternoon, coach Roberto Pätzold’s team secured a 1–0 win. Lobke Loonen (20’) scored the winner for the Black and Reds at the Kurtekotten training centre.
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A successful fourth preseason friendly ahead of the start of the training camp: The Werkself secured a 3-0 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The goals in what was a commanding and dominant performance by Leverkusen from the outset were scored by Ibrahim Maza (8'), Patrik Schick from the penalty spot (23’) and, in the second half, Montrell Culbreath with a header (79’). The team set off for their training camp in Blankenhain in the Weimarer Land region after the game.
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Rüdiger Vollborn has been at the club for 40 years, he holds the record number of Bundesliga appearances for the club (401) and is the only Bayer 04 player to have won both the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Pokal (1993). And the Berliner stayed with the Werkself after ending his impressive playing career as he worked as a goalkeeping coach for the following nine years. Vollborn now works under the Bayer Cross as a fan liaison officer and club archivist. Since February 2021, the personal Black and Red lexicon takes Werkself fans under the heading of 'Rudi recounts...' on a brief trip through the history of Bayer 04 every month…
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You have voted – your ‘Team of the Quarter-Century’ has been decided! This historic selection, covering the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024, features honorary captains, Bundesliga champions, double winners and Champions League finalists. Edmond Tapsoba is the only player from the current Bayer 04 squad to make it into the starting XI, while his team-mate Patrik Schick is on the bench. Simon Rolfes, the current managing director sport, is also in the lie-up. A truly special team that brings together a quarter of a century of Bayer 04 history – and has left a decisive mark on the club.
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