Werkself captain Elisa Senß made her senior debut for Germany in December and has again been called up by Horst Hrubesch, after helping the team in February to book their place at the Paris Olympics. However, the 26-year-old has had to pull out of the squad due to illness. Germany begin Euro 2025 qualification against Austria in Linz before facing Iceland, their rival from the previous UEFA Women’s Nations League.
It means Senß will miss out on facing club teammate Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir in Aachen. The Icelandic forward and her team host Poland before that, including Leverkusen colleagues Nikola Karczewska and Sylwia Matysik. The pair then face Austria in their second game. Lilla Turányi and Hungary also begin their campaign against Azerbaijan and away at Turkey.
Norway’s U23s include a couple of Leverkusen players in Emilie Bragstad and Julie Jorde, although Synne Skinnes Hansen has remained at home due to workload management ahead of the friendlies against the Netherlands and Sweden.
Goalkeeper Anne Moll, Paulina Bartz, Delice Boboy, Estrella Merino Gonzalez and Julia Mickenhagen will be in action for Germany’s U19s as they contest a mini tournament against Romania, Hungary and Sweden to secure a place at the summer’s Euros. Loreen Bender was called up but can’t join the squad due to injury. Sofie Zdebel is also with the U20s for the friendlies against the USA and Canada.
Overview of April call-ups:
Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir (Iceland)
5 April: Iceland vs. Poland (Euro qualifier)
9 April: Germany vs. Iceland (Euro qualifier)
Lilla Turányi (Hungary)
5 April: Hungary vs. Azerbaijan (Euro qualifier)
9 April: Turkey vs. Hungary (Euro qualifier)
Nikola Karczewska, Sylwia Matysik (Poland)
5 April: Iceland vs. Poland (Euro qualifier)
9 April: Poland vs. Austria (Euro qualifier)
Julie Jorde, Emilie Bragstad (Norway U23s)
4 April: Norway vs. Netherlands (friendly)
8 April: Sweden vs. Norway (friendly)
Paulina Bartz, Delice Boboy, Estrella Merino Gonzalez, Julia Mickenhagen, Anne Moll (Germany U19s)
3 April: Germany vs. Romania (Euro qualifier)
6 April: Germany vs. Hungary (Euro qualifier)
9 April: Sweden vs. Germany (Euro qualifier)
Sofie Zdebel (Germany U20s)
5 April: Germany vs. USA (friendly)
9 April: Germany vs. Canada (friendly)
Decision made: Germany will submit a bid to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Munich. The representatives of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) voted for Munich over Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr at their extraordinary meeting in Baden-Baden on Saturday 26 September. Berlin had already withdrawn from the vote a few days earlier.
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Former Werkself star Michael Ballack, who won the German Footballer of the Year award in 2002 while playing in Leverkusen, celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Bayer 04 sends him its best wishes!
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A challenging start to what will hopefully be a long journey: The Bayer 04 women’s team kick off their new DFB Pokal campaign on Sunday (14:00 CEST) against second-division leaders FC Viktoria Berlin. Coach Roberto Pätzold expects stiff resistance in the capital – and is counting on his team’s strong away form in the Bundesliga so far this term.
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Attention Werkself fans: In addition to tickets for the floodlit home match against Werder Bremen, tickets are now also available for the Bayer 04 women’s team’s two subsequent fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburger SV at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Both matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga will take place at family-friendly kick-off times on Saturday afternoons. Here is the latest information on matchday ticket sales.
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