Most of the members of Bayer Leverkusen wore a smile on their face after the work was done and the German champions’ team had moved into the round of 16 against Sparta Prague into the round of 16 of the Champions League. However, it was often a smile of the sweet acids, because the events that moved the club on Wednesday – the sporting success included – were full of conflict and ambiguity.
Even before the game, those responsible did not know exactly what to think of the latest news situation. The fact that the 24-year-old center striker Victor Boniface, called “Bonni” by coach Xabi Alonso, would apparently remain in the Rhineland instead of moving to Riad to the Saudi Arabian Pro League was of course great news. Boniface is an attacker with a special effect, an attraction of the house and an advertising medium for the entire Bundesliga. Nevertheless, Leverkusen would have loved to support his move to Arabia. Because the representatives of the Saudi club Al-Nassr FC had promised a transfer fee near 70 million euros and also successfully twisted the head with the offer of 15 million euros in annual fee-of course net-with the offer of supposedly.
:Xabi-Ball
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However, as it turned out, it was more about the dummy of an offer. It stayed with the oral announcement, while other representatives of Al-Nassr apparently also appeared at other European clubs. Al-Nassr “negotiated with three, four or five clubs at the same time”, reported, half amused, half alienated, a Bayer man on Wednesday. Finally, the decision was made to take over the 20-year-old Colombian Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. 77 million euros in compensation flow to Birmingham.
Boniface had already looked forward to playing with Cristiano Ronaldo
Boniface had already celebrated the approaching encounter with his youth idol Cristiano Ronaldo via Instagram, who has his old-age work gilded at Al-Nassr. In the evening, Boniface presented himself again as a Bayer worker on the Internet, and Xabi Alonso immediately welcomed him (“I’m satisfied and happy.”). Manager Simon Rolfes could hardly have found equivalent replacement, on the other hand, the question remains whether Boniface can simply be included. No problem, Rolfes said on Wednesday evening: “He feels comfortable here, he is happy here”, and nobody can blame him – under these financial circumstances.
It is understandable that Rolfes would like to see it that way. But this evening did not have any simple truths ready. Even the 2-0 against Prague, another Florian-Wirtz festival, gave a conflict, because by jumping to sixth place in the final table, Bayer 04 looks forward to a demanding round of 16 after the logic of the tournament tree. Real Madrid, Manchester City or FC Bayern are then presumably in the house. As a seventh or eighth in the tableau, the program would have been more conciliatory. Defense chief Jonathan Tah assured him with a smile, these opponents would be right (“We play Champions League for that – to measure ourselves at the highest level.”). But he could not hide the sweet acid note.