The inaugural match for the Germany U23 team ended in victory under captain Kristin Kögel: Germany beat France 3-0 in a U23 international at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt. The skipper Kögel and Katharina Piljic played the full game. For the second friendly against the Italy U23 team, coach Kathrin Peter included another Leverkusen player in Julia Mickenhagen. The Germany U23 team drew 2-2 with Italy in Florence. Kögel did not play, Piljic (46’) and Mickenhagen (82’) came on as substitutes in the second half.
For Lilla Turanyi and Hungary, the quest for a place at the European Championship finals in Switzerland next summer is over. In the first round of the Euro qualifier play-offs, they lost 1-0 in Budapest and the return match in Edinburgh ended in a 4-0 defeat. Defender Turanyi played the full 90 minutes in both games.
The international break was a little more successful for Denmark with Cornelia Kramer in the squad. The striker did not play in Denmark's 5-0 win against South Africa but made an astonishing international debut in the friendly against the Netherlands in Esbjerg four days later: Kramer came off the bench on 85 minutes and scored her first international goal two minutes later. Unfortunately, the 21-year-old was unable to prevent Denmark losing 2-1.
Her Leverkusen teammate Karolina Lea Vilhjalmsdottir clocked up the most air miles with Iceland in two friendlies against the USA. Iceland lost both games 3-1. The first match against the USA team in Austin saw Vilhjalmsdottir come on as a substitute on 85 minutes. The 23-year-old started in the second friendly in Nashville and gave Iceland the lead with a goal from a corner on 31 minutes.
Emilie Bragstad played one friendly with her national team. The defender was on the winning side with the Norway U23 team in a 3-0 victory against the Portugal U23s. Bragstad played the whole game in Melgaco in Portugal. The Germany U19 squad was also in Portugal for a DFB training camp with the two Bayer 04 Women Delice Boboy and Estrella Merino Gonzalez called up. The two Leverkusen forwards played from the start in a 2-1 defeat against Norway. In the second friendly against the Netherlands U19 side, the team coached by Michael Urbansky drew 2-2 after being 2-0 down. Merino Gonzalez and Boboy were again in the starting line-up.
The Germany U19 team were beaten 2-0 by record champions Spain in the final of the U19 European Championship in Wales. Bayer 04 players Montrell Culbreath and Francis Onyeka (on loan at SV 07 Elversberg) were in the starting line-up and played the full 90 minutes.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have signed France U17 international Kenan Doganay. The 1.90-metre-tall defensive midfielder, who has Turkish roots, joins Leverkusen from the U19s at French top-flight club Olympique Lyon. He will initially train with and play for the U19 team.
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The Sports Tribunal of the German Football Association (DFB) has fined Bayer 04 Leverkusen €185,000 for spectators setting off pyrotechnic devices during a total of five competitive matches. This relates to four Bundesliga matches and the DFB Pokal semi-final against Bayern Munich. The highest individual fine relates to the away match at FC Köln at the end of April.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended the contract with U19 goalkeeper Simeon Rapsch. The Germany youth international goalkeeper has signed a long-term contract with the Werkself running to 30 June 2029. The 18-year-old joined Leverkusen from FC Viktoria Köln in the summer of 2024.
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