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“Every win feels special”
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH LEO BITTENCOURT
12/03/26 | 4 Min
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Three points, a second consecutive win and an assist – things could hardly have gone much better for Leo Bittencourt and the Green-Whites in their 4-1 win at Union Berlin. In an exclusive interview with WERDER.DE, the 32-year-old speaks about the impact made by new head coach Daniel Thioune, a special celebration with Patrice Čović and his own personal record against next opponents Mainz 05.
WERDER.DE: Moin, Leo! Two wins on the spin must feel especially good. They were also the first victories for our new head coach Daniel Thioune. What kind of impact has he had on the team?
Leo Bittencourt: He’s had a huge impact. He inherited a squad that had understandably lost a bit of confidence after such a long run without a win. His first three games didn’t bring results straight away either, but he stayed clear with his messaging and stuck to his ideas. He kept passing that on to us week after week. You can see his stamp on the team now. The results have helped the lads believe in themselves again, a bit of weight has come off our shoulders, and of course he deserves a lot of credit for that.
WERDER.DE: We noticed that straight after the goal to make it 2-1 in Berlin, you were right in the middle of a conversation with Daniel and the coaching team. What were you discussing?
Leo Bittencourt: What we were going to have for lunch the next day (laughs). No, Daniel involves me a lot – during games as well. Because we had an extra man, we were looking at how we wanted to play, especially as Union are dangerous from long balls. He was just talking me through it a bit.
WERDER.DE: How is your role on and off the pitch defined?
Leo Bittencourt: My job is to help the team, whether that’s on the pitch or off it. I’ve been through a lot here, so naturally the lads can always come to me, even when I’m not playing. I always try to impress in training because, like anyone, I want to be out there playing (smiles). But I also try to help the lads however I can when I’m not on the pitch.
WERDER.DE: Let’s talk about the Union game again quickly. There was a special goal celebration with Patrice Čović. What was that all about?
Leo Bittencourt: We’d actually agreed on that celebration before the Heidenheim game (laughs). We really wanted to celebrate together, so we came up with something in case either of us scored. The fact I was then able to set him up for the goal in Berlin made it an even better story. We both thought of that celebration straight away. Patrice is a great lad and we get on really well. He’s hugely talented and has a very good understanding of the game.
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WERDER.DE: Mainz are up next and you’ve scored in each of the last two home games against them. What do you remember from those matches?
Leo Bittencourt: That’s true – now that you mention it, maybe that’s a good omen for me against Mainz (laughs). I think it got a bit wild towards the end, with a few red cards. The main thing was that we got the three points.
WERDER.DE: Mainz have also picked up momentum in recent weeks. What makes them such a dangerous side?
Leo Bittencourt: They didn’t pick up many points in the first half of the season. The change of coach then had a positive effect and they’ve won a lot of games since. They’re a very experienced side and have fought their way out of the relegation zone. They play with a similar kind of physical edge to Union, so it won’t be an easy game for us on Sunday.
WERDER.DE: We’re also unbeaten in our last six Bundesliga games against Mainz. Why will that run continue on Sunday?
Leo Bittencourt: We can take the momentum from the last few weeks into the game and we know what it takes to win. We need to bring the intensity we’ve shown on the training pitch into the match. We’ve shown that we can deal with setbacks, like going behind against Union. That should give us confidence to keep pushing forward. If we do that, and with our fans behind us like we had against Heidenheim, I’m confident we can get the next three points.
WERDER.DE: One last question – what kind of win tastes best?
Leo Bittencourt: I think every win tastes good (smiles). As a midfielder, I obviously enjoy games with plenty of goals, like the one in Berlin. But a tight and intense game like the one we had at home to Mainz last season can be just as important and just as satisfying. Every win feels special.
WERDER.DE: Let’s hope it does again on Sunday. Thanks, Leo!
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