Victor Boniface return was emergency option, says Werder Bremen chief

Victor Boniface was not rushed back into action after recovering from a serious knee injury because SV Werder Bremen viewed his return primarily as emergency cover during the club’s Bundesliga survival battle, according to Head of Professional Football Peter Niemeyer.

Boniface joined Bremen on loan from Bayer 04 Leverkusen during the 2025 summer transfer window with hopes he would strengthen the club’s attack for the season. However, the move quickly turned into a frustrating spell for the Nigerian international.

The striker struggled to make a major impact at the Weserstadion, producing only two assists in 11 Bundesliga appearances before injury problems disrupted his campaign. His difficulties worsened in December 2025 when he suffered another knee injury that sidelined him for nearly four months.

The setback forced the former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise forward to miss 17 Bundesliga matches, including key fixtures against FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bremen avoided raising expectations

Despite concerns over his fitness and sharpness after such a lengthy layoff, Bremen still decided to reintegrate Boniface into the squad during the closing weeks of the campaign as they fought to avoid relegation.

Speaking to DeichStube, Niemeyer said the club intentionally kept expectations low regarding Boniface’s return.

“We tried to put things into perspective at the time, to understand why we were bringing him back and how we wanted to approach the whole thing,” Niemeyer explained.

“We didn’t know what might happen in the final stages of the season. We deliberately didn’t raise expectations too high. It was more about having an additional option in case of emergency.”

Although Boniface recovered before the campaign ended, he did not feature again for Bremen. The club eventually secured their Bundesliga status without needing to call on the Nigerian striker during the decisive final stretch of the season.