Jonathan Tah stood on the sidelines ready to come on to help secure victory for Germany. However, the final whistle at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam prevented the central defender earning another cap, but did not diminish his joy at the 3-2 win against Holland. Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz did not appear either after the Bayer 04 trio were in the starting line-up against Serbia on Wednesday.
While Germany were able to celebrate a successful start to the European Championship qualification campaign, the other Werkself pros were left empty-handed. That particularly applies to Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger who were in the Austria side that lost 1-0 against Poland and now experienced another setback with a 4-2 defeat in Israel. Drago and Baumi went the full distance against the hosts coached by fellow countryman Andreas Herzog.
Tin Jedvaj played 77 minutes for Croatia in a 2-1 defeat in the European qualifier away to Hungary. Lukas Hradecky also tasted defeat with Finland in the match against Italy: The Bayer 04 keeper had to pick the ball out of the net twice as his team lost 2-0 against the World Cup winners of 2006. Charles Aránguiz also played the full 90 minutes as Chile lost 3-1 to Mexico in a friendly played in the USA.
While the other international players are on their way back to Leverkusen, Aránguiz, Hradecky and U19 player Adrian Stanilewicz still have games to play for their countries.
Lukas Hradecky (Finland)
Tuesday, 26 March (18.00 CET,Yerevan): Armenia vs Finland (European qualifier, Group J)
Charles Aránguiz (Chile)
Wednesday, 27 March (02.00 CET, Houston): USA vs Chile (Friendly)
Adrian Stanilewicz (Poland U20)
Tuesday, 26 March (18.00 CET, Bielsko-Biala): Poland U20 vs Germany U20 (Elite League)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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