‘It is Victor Boniface’s fault Leverkusen dumped him’ – Bremen remind striker loan is a second chance

Werder Bremen sporting director Clemens Fritz has said that Victor Boniface must recognise his loan spell at the club as a second chance to revive his career after a difficult spell at Bayer Leverkusen. The former Germany international made the remarks following Bremen’s 1-0 win over FC St. Pauli, stressing that the Nigeria striker needs to rediscover his best form and fitness.

The 24-year-old joined Werder on loan from Leverkusen in the final days of the summer transfer window after struggling with injuries and consistency last season. Since arriving, he has featured in four Bundesliga matches but is yet to make a strong impression.

“If Victor had reached his peak performance in the last few months, we wouldn’t have him in Bremen now,” Fritz said. “He has to understand that Werder is an opportunity for him – because there will also be a time after Bremen and Leverkusen. Our goal is to get him into the best possible shape – because then he’ll be incredibly valuable to us.”

Missed chance sums up Boniface’s current struggles

During the win over St. Pauli, Boniface had a clear chance to score but couldn’t convert. The striker broke free on a counterattack but noticeably lost pace, allowing defenders to catch up. Still, he managed to beat one opponent with brilliant footwork before curling his effort narrowly wide of the far post.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Stefan Effenberg noted that the Super Eagles striker is still not at full speed. “He’s normally at 33 km/h, but yesterday he wasn’t even doing 30 km/h,” Effenberg said on Sport1-Doppelpass. “When he’s ten percent fitter, he doesn’t even have to engage in duels, he just runs straight at the goalkeeper.”

AC Milan were reportedly close to signing Boniface on loan this summer, but the move collapsed after he failed medical checks. Now in Bremen colours, the Nigerian has been handed a fresh start and he must prove he still has the qualities that once made him one of the Bundesliga’s most dangerous forwards.