Bayer Leverkusen, fifth in the Bundesliga and finalist in the DFB Pokal, seems to have emerged from their Champions League ambitions. But there is a way out because Leverkusen can win the Europa League and still qualify for the Champions League. Prior to the restart of the Europa League, sports director Simon Rolfes and CEO Fernando Carro spoke about the DFB Pokal final, Europa League ambitions and the long career of Kai Havertz and Kevin Volland.
On 6 August, Werkself will face Glasgow Rangers in the round round 16 round round round. Leverkusen has a comfortable lead after a 3–1 away win in February.
“We’ll give you everything we have, I can assure you, and I know that’s Peter Bosz’s technique and what the players will do,” sports director Simon Rolfes said of the resumption of the Europa League. “First we have to finish the task with Rangers, then it may be a difficult quarter-final against Inter or Getafe, two more productive groups in the most productive leagues.
From the quarter-finals, all matches will be played in Germany in what will be a singles knockout competition. “We are pleased to know that it has been decided that the North Rhine-West region will host the quarter-finals as well as the final,” Rolfes said. “Unfortunately, we are not allowed to stay and exercise in our own facilities in Leverkusen, but to achieve equality for all teams, we had to settle for that. However, we feel very comfortable here, and all matches will be played less than an hour by car.
The games will take place in Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen. Among German teams, Leverkusen is the favorite to win the tournament. For the Leverkusen, this would end a long-standing drought of the name dating back to 1993 when the Werkself won the DFB Pokal.
“We need to win trophies and we have to carry trophies for our fans,” said Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer Leverkusen. “We’ve all been waiting for a name for 27 years, so the DFB offered a great opportunity. We went there and our players were motivated, but with Bayern we faced one of the toughest and most productive groups in the world at the moment.
In what entertaining DFB Pokal finale, Leverkusen paid for defensive errors in his 4–2 loss to Bayern Munich. The Rekordmeister dominates German football, and Rolfes admits that Bayern’s supremacy can be a challenge for the league, but also under pressure that Rekordmeister is overcome.
“We all know the exceptional qualities of Bayern Munich and the strong monetary scenario in which it is unearthed,” Rolfes said. “However, we have won two of the last 4 games against them and kept them close in a thrilling final of the DFB Pokal. Yes, Bayern have dominated, and it is not positive for the long-term league scenario, but no one questions how exciting it is and competitive, the Bundesliga is every week, fit through the game ».
But what can the league do to close the gap with Bayner Munich? “I can only speak on behalf of Bayer 04 and promise that for us it is not imaginable to come to this situation, we are looking at at least fit one of its toughest rivals,” Rolfes said.
Champions League football would help Bayer stay together as a strong team. But Rolfes was quick to point out that the club could be a strong team even in the Europa League. “We made some long-term moves last season with players like Diaby, Sinkgraven, Tapsoba, Palacios or Wirtz,” Rolfes said. “So we still have a partially new team whose players have yet to adapt and be placed in the culture of this club.
The main question, however, is what will happen to Kai Havertz? At the time of writing, an agreement with Chelsea is closed. But Leverkusen noted that the scenario related to his star player had not been replaced due to COVID-19.
“Corona affects our moving strategy in general, as it does with the world’s top clubs,” Rolfes said. “As for Kai Havertz, he is an exceptional and promising player at a higher level, so of course there are many big clubs that are interested in him. We are comfortable in this regard and satisfied that you are part of our team. .
The interest in Havertz is truly superior. But what about Kevin Volland? The striker, like Havertz, is in high demand. Will you have a long career in Leverkusen? “We would be happy to continue [Volland] betting on us, and we are in a smart conversation,” Rolfes said.
Manuel Veth is the editor-in-chief of the Futbolgrad network and Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been to The Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA and various other media. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth