First team 13.10.2025 - 16:17 Uhr
05ers reunite in Sinsheim, Lee celebrates milestone
Here is how the international break has played out so far for FSV’s internationals
Preparations for Saturday’s clash with Bayer Leverkusen (15:30) begun on Monday, albeit without a couple of first-team players, for whom there is still work to be done with their national sides.
An 05ers reunion in Sinsheim, Germany U21s suffer defeat
Germany’s 4-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Luxembourg was made extra special by the reunion of a number of former and current 05ers. Last Friday saw Germany’s Jonny Burkardt (2014-2025), Ridle Baku (2013-2020), Finn Dahmen (2008-2023) and Nadiem Amiri (2024-present) take on some familiar faces in Leo Barreiro (2016-2024), Aiman Dardari (2021-2024), Florian Bohnert (2019-2021) and Alessio Curci (2018-2023). Amiri is the only current 05er in the Germany squad but did not feature in the match. This coming Monday (20:45 CEST), he and his teammates will take on Northern Ireland in Belfast.
Meanwhile, the Germany U21s experienced a bit of a bump in the road, as Nelson Weiper’s team suffered a 3-2 loss to Greece in their U21 EUROs qualifier on Friday. Weiper played the full 90 minutes in the loss, which saw his side go 2-0 down, then bring it back to 2-2 before conceding a late winner. The next test for the Germany U21s is, like the senior side, against Northern Ireland in Belfast, on Tuesday evening (18:30).
Nelson Weiper and the Germany U21s had to accept defeat against Greece (Photo: Thomas Böcker / DFB).
Lee celebrates milestone despite loss, Sano plays in Japan draw
Jae-sung Lee and South Korea played a friendly against Brazil on Friday and were beaten 5-0, with the Mainz man starting the game before being substituted in the 63rd minute. Despite the defeat, the 33-year-old was able to celebrate reaching a personal milestone, having played his 100th match for his country. Tuesday’s game against Paraguay should see the midfielder add to that tally.
Kaishu Sano and his Japan side drew 2-2 in a friendly with Paraguay on Friday, and would have lost had it not been for a 94th-minute equaliser. The FSV midfielder started the match and played 89 minutes before being substituted. Japan play another friendly on Tuesday, this time against Brazil.
Kaishu Sano plazed almost every minute of Japan’s draw with Paraguay (Photo: IMAGO / AFLOSPORT).
Switzerland win, Austria with a dominant victory before a tough loss
Silvan Widmer enjoyed a successful evening with the Swiss national team last Friday, as they beat Sweden 2-0. FSV’s club captain played 74 minutes of the World Cup qualifier before being substituted. The Switzerland side will be in action again on Monday with another away game, this time in Slovenia.
Austria scored a record-setting ten unanswered goals in their World Cup qualifier against San Marino on Friday, although there was to be no game time for Phillipp Mwene. The Austrian joy was short-lived though, as they followed their 10-0 win with a 1-0 loss to Romania, a game in which Mwene did get to play 65 minutes from the start.
Silvan Widmer and the Switzerland national side beat Sweden 2-0 in Solna last Friday (Photo: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo).
Wins for Norway and Poland’s U21s, Austria U21s can only manage a draw
The Norway national side beat Israel 5-0 last Saturday in a World Cup qualifier, however, Mainz defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen remained an unused substitute. Norway go again on Tuesday with a friendly against New Zealand.
Austria’s U21s were held to a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their EUROs qualifier, with 05er Konstantin Schopp not even given a spot in the matchday squad. He and his side play Wales on Tuesday. Kacper Potulski’s Poland U21s career began with his side getting a 2-0 victory over Montenegro on Friday. The 17-year-old, who made his professional debut in the UEFA Conference League against Omonia Nicosia, was an unused substitute. The next test for Poland’s U21s comes on Tuesday in the form of Sweden.
