Victor Boniface incident resolved by Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen have moved quickly to resolve the situation involving Victor Boniface after the striker left the substitutes’ area early during the 4-3 win over Mainz 05.

Boniface was frustrated after coming on as a substitute and disappeared into the tunnel rather than staying with the team. Sporting director Simon Rolfes said the matter was addressed immediately.

“Carles spoke with him directly on Sunday morning to settle the matter,” Rolfes told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. “That does not happen. He knows that too. It was a one-off and it is now closed.”

Rolfes said players must support the team even when they are frustrated with their own situation. However, he also understood Boniface’s disappointment, noting that the Nigerian had higher expectations after six weeks of progress.

“Perhaps he was disappointed because he now has more hope than six weeks ago. That is a good sign. Still, he knows it was not clever,” Rolfes added.

The director believes Boniface is improving week by week but still needs to take further steps. He will not be eligible to face Lech Poznań in the Europa League and will hope for minutes against Freiburg on Sunday.