German national player Bernd Schneider (81 caps) has rejoined his team colleagues at Bayer Leverkusen, 253 days following surgery on his spinal column. “I have to pace myself, but it was great to be back with the team”, said the 35-year old Schneider. “I just have to get back to 100 percent.”
His last game appearance dates back to April 13, 2008, a 3-0 win over VfB Stuttgart. He had to leave the field just before halftime because of a severe back injury. 12 days later, he had surgery in Hanover’s clinic. Then, the time of suffering began. Any hopes on a fast recovery were abandoned soon. He was unable to be a part of the German team at the 2008 EURO.
But neither his team nor German coach Joachim Löw felt ready to sign him off. “Schnix”, as teammates call him in a tribute to his technical skills, remained a part of Leverkusen’s future plans. In the middle of his down-time, Leverkusen extended his contract for another season. Now, Bayer’s coach Bruno Labbadia cannot wait to see his veteran star back on the pitch: “I feel very certain that he can still make a contribution to our team.” Löw agrees: “I keep hoping that Bernd can recover all the way. Such a great career should not end this way.”
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German national player Bernd Schneider (81 caps) has rejoined his team colleagues at Bayer Leverkusen, 253 days following surgery on his spinal column. “I have to pace myself, but it was great to be back with the team”, said the 35-year old Schneider. “I just have to get back to 100 percent.”
His last game appearance dates back to April 13, 2008, a 3-0 win over VfB Stuttgart. He had to leave the field just before halftime because of a severe back injury. 12 days later, he had surgery in Hanover’s clinic. Then, the time of suffering began. Any hopes on a fast recovery were abandoned soon. He was unable to be a part of the German team at the 2008 EURO.
But neither his team nor German coach Joachim Löw felt ready to sign him off. “Schnix”, as teammates call him in a tribute to his technical skills, remained a part of Leverkusen’s future plans. In the middle of his down-time, Leverkusen extended his contract for another season. Now, Bayer’s coach Bruno Labbadia cannot wait to see his veteran star back on the pitch: “I feel very certain that he can still make a contribution to our team.” Löw agrees: “I keep hoping that Bernd can recover all the way. Such a great career should not end this way.”
