Marco Rose on his sending-off in RB Leipzig’s 3-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen: “I deserved it in the situation.”

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·1 September 2024

Marco Rose on his sending-off in RB Leipzig’s 3-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen: “I deserved it in the situation.”

Speaking (via kicker) after RB Leipizg ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 35-game unbeaten run after coming from behind, head coach Marco Rose reacted to the team’s performance as well as his sending-off.

In the first half, Leverkusen were the dominant team even going 2-0 just before the whistle but Leipzig gave themselves a lifeline when former Leverkusen players Kevin Kampl and Benjamin Henrichs combined to make it 2-1. On the goal, Rose said:

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“The goal that brought us back was a very important one.” And: “We said to ourselves at half-time that we still had to improve a few things in detail, because the rest wasn’t so bad. The boys did a great job in the end, in terms of belief. That’s something you have to do when you’re 2-0 down. We’re happy to take that with us.”

However, before the goal, things seemed to get worse for Leipzig before they got better as Rose was sent off after a second yellow card for expressing his disapproval of the lack of punishment towards Jonathan Tah after a challenge on Loïs Openda. On his red card, Rose said:

“I have to take this completely on myself. The new rules are clear and I wanted to contact him when he got the first yellow card. Before the second one, I said that it would be nice if we talked to each other. That was too gesticulating and emotional. There is no anger at all, I accept it as it is, because I deserved it in the situation.”

Rose then added:

“I didn’t hit or shoot anyone, I was gesticulating and I was emotional. And I accept the yellow-red card and promise to do better. For some coaches it is interpreted as a positive tic, for others it is interpreted as being incorrigible… I have no idea which category I fall into now. I am me and I will remain me. And if I screw up, then I can admit it. In this case I did it today.”

After Rose was forced to sit in the stands, in the second half, Leipzig’s performance improved but they struggled to get the better of Leverkusen. A brace from Openda then not only completed the comeback but also gave Leipzig the lead which with the help of Peter Gulacsi they were able to hold on.

GGFN | Jack Meenan