Michael Urbansky, recently assistant coach for the Germany Women's team under Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, is in charge of the Germany U19 Women's team as head coach for the first time in the two international fixtures against the Netherlands on 24 February (kick-off: 19.00 CET) and against Italy on 27 February (kick-off: 16.00 CET). He follows Kathrin Peter, who is now in charge of the Germany U20 Women. In his squad of 22 players, there are six from the Bundesliga squad of the Bayer 04 Women in goalkeeper Anne Moll plus the outfield players Paulina Bartz, Loreen Bender, Delice Boboy, Estrella Merino Gonzalez and Julia Mickenhagen. The two friendlies for the U19s, which are part of preparations for the crucial European Championship qualifying round of the start of April, will be played in La Nucia in Spain. In addition to the sextet, Sofie Zdebel is also away with the Germany youth set-up: The midfielder was called up by Peter for the 24-player squad for the international trip to Spain. Germany first play the hosts in Alicante on 22 February (kick-off: 18.00 CET) and then they face Mexico in Benidorm on 25 February (kick-off: 18.00 CET).
"This large number of players called up makes us proud and is an indication of our work and, at the same time, also an expression of our club philosophy," said Achim Feifel, sporting director of the Bayer 04 Women: "We want to give young and talented players the chance to develop and step up to the Bundesliga. But, at the same time, it's also a special challenge for us because it is important to offer these players more and more time on the pitch."
Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
Show more
Attention, Werkself fans: the new Away Matchday Collection is now available from the Bayer 04 online shop and the Fanwelt. It includes t-shirts, zip tops and jackets.
Show more
Season tickets for the Werkself home matches in the new Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga season are now on general sale. The season ticket is valid for all 13 matches at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. The first home match will be played between 28 and 31 August against the runners-up, VfL Wolfsburg, followed by the clash with the German champions, Bayern Munich, between 11 and 14 September.
Show more
A new team, a new environment, a new challenge—and yet one thing remains the same for Afonso Moreira: his attitude. Total dedication, discipline, and the drive to improve every day have defined the Portuguese player since his early days at Sporting CP. “Even back then, I realized I had to work hard to achieve my goals,” said the 21-year-old. His parents also instilled those values in him from a young age. Values that have driven him ever since, accompanied him to France when he signed for Lyon, and now also form the foundation for his new chapter at Bayer 04. At a media session, the lightning-fast winger spoke about his values, as well as his new teammates, the new coach, and his targets at the club.
Show more
