U21 call-up for Lennart Grill

Germany U21 coach Stefan Kuntz has called up Bayer 04 goalkeeper for Under-21s Euro 2021 tournament. Also in Monday’s news in brief: Possession galore for the Werkself and birthday greetings to Mainz.

Lennart Grill has been called up to the Germany squad for the U21 Euro 2021 tournament in Hungary and Slovenia. The group stage lasts from 24 to 31 March. Germany will play Hungary (24 March, 21.00 CET), the Netherlands (27 March, 21.00 CET) and Rumania (30 March, 18.00 CEST). All the games will be broadcast live on ProSieben.

The knockout rounds will be played from 31 May to 6 June. The winners and runners-up from the four groups will meet at that stage of the tournament.

Grill is currently clocking up the minutes on the pitch for Leverkusen ahead of the international tournament. The 1.91 metre tall keeper has played for Bayer 04 in the last three Bundesliga matches in succession. He has come into the side due to injury to the number one keeper Lukas Hradecky and has produced faultless performances so far.

The summer signing from Kaiserslautern made four appearances for the Germany U21s in Euro qualifiers in the autumn and he kept two clean sheets in the process. The other two of the three keepers for the tournament are Finn Dahmen (FSV Mainz 05) and Markus Schubert (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Grill can play in the finals despite being 22. The rules state that all players can be included who were not 21 at the start of the qualifiers – in this case in the autumn of 2019. As the timeframe between the start of the qualifying rounds and the finals is two years, players up to the age of 23 can be in a national U21 squad at the finals.

Possession without points

The Werkself again dominated the possession stats, as so often this season, in the home game against Bielefeld. 75 per cent by the end of the game. That number has only been topped once in the current Bundesliga campaign: by Borussia Dortmund on matchday two. BVB had 80 per cent possession against FC Augsburg. However, like Bayer 04 against Arminia Bielefeld (1-2), the Black and Yellow dominance was not converted into points – FCA won the game 2-0.

DFL and Derbystar extend deal

The Werkself players will be able to carry on playing with Derbystar balls in the next few years. The German Football League (DFL ) and the company based in Goch on the Lower Rhine have extended their partnership to the summer of 2026. The original contract, due to run out at the end of this season, has been extended by four years. Derbystar replaced adidas as the official ball supplier for the 2018/19 season.

Helmes resigns coaching role

The former Leverkusen player Patrick Helmes has resigned as Reserve team coach at Admira Wacker. “Due to the special circumstances,” it was agreed to “terminate the contract early by mutual consent,” as the Austrian club recently announced. Helmes’ last game in charge of the junior team was played on 30 October 2020 as the third division fixtures have been suspended since then. The former centre forward played for the Werkself from July 2008 to January 2011 in 57 Bundesliga games (28 goals).

Many happy returns, Levin!

As with Bayer youngster Florian Wirtz last year (gold in the U17 category), Levin Öztunali was also awarded the Fritz Walter Medal. The Hamburg-born player received the silver medal in the U18 age group in 2014 – also during his time at Leverkusen. Bayer 04 signed the versatile forward from Hamburg SV. After three and a half years with the Werkself, including a loan period at Werder Bremen, Öztunali 2016 moved on to FSV Mainz 05 in 2016 and he is still there now. The right-footer is 25 today (Monday). Bayer 04 wish: Happy birthday!

Mutz: First choice keeper in 1950s

Over half a century before Öztunali, Alfred ‘Fredy’ Mutz joined Leverkusen. Born in Remscheid, he left his hometown in 1951 to play for the Werkself. As the goalkeeper, Mutz was for years one of the key players and captain of Sportvereinigung Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the top tier Oberliga West. The Werkself just missed out on the finals of the German Championships in 1955. He went on to make 281 league appearances for the Werkself.

After the end of his playing career, Mutz worked for Bayer 04 as a club official. He founded the Veterans team in 1959 before hanging up his boots. Mutz passed away in Leverkusen on 15 April 2001.

On what would have been his 95^th birthday, Bayer 04 pay tribute to the former key player, captain, club official and role model at the club.