The whole Schmidt ride at Bayer Leverkusen has been a rollercoaster of soaring peaks and alarming troughs. Alas, the dips had become the norm
It ended on a Tuesday night, 21 February. The looks that the Bayer Leverkusen players exchanged on the turf at the final whistle – at least, of those that could bear to make eye contact – after a spirited but vain second-half rally against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, spelled it loud and clear. It was all over; not only for Leverkusen in Europe but for their coach Roger Schmidt’s tenure.
The official end came in a club statement on Sunday morning, backsides still red raw from a 6-2 spanking at Borussia Dortmund. The CEO, Michael Schade, described the decision to let Schmidt go as “painful” but in the interest of the club’s “further development and success”. The sporting director, Rudi Völler, underlined what the club has come to feel is the urgency of the situation.
Related: Dortmund hit Leverkusen for six as Bayern canter to victory at Köln
Related: Bayer Leverkusen’s Roger Schmidt: 'I never wanted to be a football manager'
Continue reading...