Germany start their mission to qualify for the World Cup in Group A4 with a home game against Slovenia. Carlotta Wamser, who had to sit out the UEFA Women's Nations League final against Spain at the end of last year with an injury, is back on board this time. After the match against Slovenia on Tuesday, 3 March at the Rudolf Harbig Stadium in Dresden, Germany will face Norway in Stavanger on Saturday night, 8 March. In addition to goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe, midfielder Katharina Piljic will also be on call for the Germany senior team for the first time.
Wamser's team-mate Claudia Wenger will face the same two opponents with Austria. The 24-year-old defender will face Norway at home in Maria Enzersdorf with the Austrian national team, who have also been drawn in qualifying group A4, before Wenger and Co. face Slovenia away at the ŠRC Bonifika stadium. Forward Valentina Mädl is on standby for the Austria training programme.
A Leverkusen quintet consisting of Julia Mickenhagen, Piljic, Loreen Bender, Selina Ostermeier plus Sofie Zdebel have been called up. The team coached by Michael Urbansky will play Norway away in Ålesund. Four days later, Germany, including Paulina Bartz, on loan to Hamburger SV to the end of the season, will play an international against Belgium in Wattenscheid. Estrella Merino Gonzalez, like Borggräfe and Piljic initially also on standby for the senior national team, had to drop out of the training course due to muscular problems.
Meanwhile, striker Amy Wrigge will play two matches with the Germany U19s as part of a training programme in Spain. Coach Melanie Behringer's team will first face Sweden in La Nucia and then Italy three days later. Sana Coskun from the U23 team has also been nominated for the Turkey U19s, who will face Uzbekistan, Thailand and Equatorial Guinea in Turkey.
Call-ups at a glance:
Carlotta Wamser (Germany)
Tuesday, 03/03.: Germany vs Slovenia (World Cup qualifier)
Saturday, 07/03: Norway vs Germany (World Cup qualifier)
Claudia Wenger (Austria)
Tuesday, 03/03: Austria vs Norway (World Cup qualifier)
Saturday, 07/03: Slovenia vs Austria (World Cup qualifier)
Julia Mickenhagen, Katharina Piljic, Loreen Bender, Selina Ostermeier and Sofie Zdebel (Germany U23s)
Monday, 02/03: Norway vs Germany (international fixture)
Friday, 06/03: Germany vs Belgium (international fixture)
Amy Wrigge (Germany U19s)
Tuesday, 03/03: Germany vs Sweden (Tournament in Spain)
Friday 06/03: Italy vs Germany (Tournament in Spain)
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 Women have boosted their firepower with the signing of Poland international Paulina Tomasiak. The 24-year-old striker moves to Leverkusen from Gornik Leczna in her homeland on a two-year contract.
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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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