Bittencourt makes 300th Bundesliga appearance in vital win

Leonardo Bittencourt spent the final seconds of the game on the bench. When the final whistle went, the tension drained away. For a moment, Werder’s number 10 remained in the away dugout after helping his team to a vital 1-0 win at VfL Wolfsburg. It was exactly the kind of game Bittencourt relishes – and one in which he also happened to make his 300th Bundesliga appearance.

Leonardo Bittencourt is all smiles. Bouncing in front of the away end, he is able to forget all about the physical toll of the game. In his hand, he proudly holds a Werder shirt with his name on the back and the number 300 beneath it. “If someone had told me back then that a lad from Cottbus would one day make 300 Bundesliga appearances,” he smiled. “It makes me incredibly proud that I’ve played most of them for such a great club as Werder Bremen – many thanks to the team for topping the day off with a win.”

Bittencourt himself played a major part in the victory. Speaking at the post-match press conference, his head coach Daniel Thioune even suggested it was “probably one of his best” Bundesliga performances because he had “really put a shift in for the team.” The midfielder certainly put in the legwork, covering a solid 11.39 kilometres and winning 62.5% of his duels. That commitment was a key factor in Werder’s success, and Bittencourt can always be relied upon to leave his heart out on the pitch.

At one stage, it didn’t look as though Bittencourt would play such an important role for SVW again. He missed eight matches in a row over the winter, but has now once again shown just how valuable he is to the team. “That’s another reason why you get to 300 games – you keep getting back up after setbacks,” he smiled in the Mixed Zone. “Thanks to my family, who put up with my moods, keep pushing me and lift me up. A lot of footballers know how much work goes into it, and in the end it’s still the best job in the world – with all the stress that comes with it.”