Leonardo Bittencourt reflects on dual nationality and his final few months with Werder Bremen | OneFootball

Bundesliga staple Leonardo Bittencourt, who has been in the league since 2012 and has featured for five different teams, recently spoke with DFL Digital Sports.

The Werder Bremen midfielder announced earlier in the campaign that this would be his last season with the club. It’s been an excellent tenure, and even though things were looking shaky, it now seems like he’ll be able to depart with his head held high.

Back to his roots

Before that, Bittencourt spoke about what it’s like not only having two nationalities, but a pretty unique mix of them. 

He was born and raised in Germany, but his father grew up in Brazil before making the move to Deutschland to join VfB Leipzig. Not many have such a close connection to those two countries, and the differences and similarities in cultures has led to some interesting lessons. 

“I think the looseness is just in me. I probably got that from home as well, from how we grew up. But of course, as soon as we left the house, we basically lived like Germans,” said Bittencourt. “We were raised like Germans with discipline, precision, punctuality, and all the things that come with it, and that is why the mix is quite good, that I received a certain discipline along my path, as well as the looseness from home. That is why I am actually quite proud that I did not choose one or the other, but that both are simply in me.”

That blend always remains, and one side doesn’t tend to overpower the other, unless it comes to watching international tournaments. 

“I think it is a mix. In the moment you do not think that much, it is just inside me.That is where both cultures and ideas coincide,” said Bittencourt. “Basically I have always supported Germany because I played with many of the guys in youth teams. I think it is also always important for the Bundesliga when Germany goes far, because it is good for the league you play in from a media perspective when you become world champion. I think you could see that in 2014. So first and foremost Germany, but I have the advantage that if one team is eliminated, I still have a second one. If it comes down to the final, then it is good either way.”

The midfielder could even find the bright side during the German battering of Brazil in the infamous 7-1 semi-final victory. “I actually found it quite funny because so many goals were scored.”

Going back to his father, Franklin Bittencourt recorded 39 Bundesliga appearances after joining FC Energie Cottbus. While the top-flight is now loaded with internationals from various different countries, those days had a lot less of a foreign influence. That made it much harder for players to make the jump abroad.

“My dad came from Brazil to Leipzig at that time in a difficult phase where it was not easy for him. He could not speak the language, in a new country, in an intense league as well,” said Bittencourt. “And I do believe that he passed that on to me, that you have to assert yourself, especially in the Bundesliga and in football, even in difficult times.”

Fortunately for players in both Brazil and Germany, they get to play in front of two of the best kinds of atmospheres in world football. They’re remarkably similar, too, while still able to learn from one another.

“The fans in Germany and Europe, as well as in Brazil, are very passionate. It is pure passion. And I think that in Brazil many people can forget everyday life for 90 minutes when they are in the stands, all the difficult times they may have, releasing frustration and focusing only on the game. And I think it is similar in Germany and Europe. That is why both fan cultures, as different as they are, are still very passionate,” said Bittencourt. 

“I think Germans need to understand about Brazilian football that before games there is a certain looseness that does not really exist in Germany. There is singing, dancing, and it is about much more than just football. You see young players becoming professionals at 16 or 17, doing a lot of stepovers, and they are not restricted, but allowed to be themselves on the pitch and be free. And Brazilians should understand about Germans that it is a lot about hard work, discipline, precision, and structure, which is very important. That is why two worlds collide, which can actually be combined very well, because both can benefit from each other, even though sometimes there are worlds between them.”

A Bremen farewell

Focusing back onto the pitch, there’s a newfound sense of relief at Werder Bremen during the international break.

They secured a huge victory on the final weekend of action, going on the road to relegation rivals VfL Wolfsburg and beating them 1-0. It was a tight and tense affair, exactly as you’d expect, with the only goal coming via a deflected Justin Njinmah effort.

While not officially securing safety for the Green-Whites, the result put a seven point gap between themselves and automatic relegation with seven games to go. They’re also four points clear of the relegation-playoff. 

Bittencourt has played his part. He’s a veteran presence off the field, and on the field he’s a reliable option either from the bench or as a starter. That was on show against Wolfsburg, as he had to fill in for the missing Jens Stage and Senne Lynen, doing what was needed in the process.

It’s a bit of a turnaround for the player, who found minutes hard to come by under former head coach Horst Steffen. With Daniel Thioune now in charge, though, things have changed. 

“The communication is very good. He involves me a lot, we talk regularly, he shares his ideas with me. The exchange is very positive. It is a lot of fun working with him,” said Bittencourt. “He communicates very well with the team and has taken some of the pressure away. He has a clear plan and direction, and we are following it.”

In a crisis situation like this, where a club as big as Bremen has to worry about a potentially demoralizing relegation, it’s great to have a composed and experienced player like Bittencourt.

“Winning is always nicer than losing, but over the years I have learned how to deal with it. You need a certain looseness, focus, and sharpness. The mix is important. Being too tense does not help, and being too relaxed does not help either. Finding that balance helps me approach these games,” said Bittencourt.

“That is my role and my goal, to take the guys with me. We recently lost to St. Pauli and nobody believed in us anymore, and then we achieved two well-deserved wins. That should give the guys the feeling that setbacks are normal. Other teams also have their goals and fight to win. We have to take the positives from losses and learn from them. Sometimes a defeat is a step back, but it can help you take a run up to move forward again.”

That composure is especially important when it comes to reacting to individual matches. Supporters can often feel like any given weekend is do-or-die, that the future of the club is always on the line.

“The season is not over after that game. There are still enough matches left. If you win, you are not safe, and if you lose, you are not relegated. It is about three points that we want to get,” said Bittencourt. “There is pressure, but you also need a certain calmness. It is not everything yet. It is about a lot, about points, about a direct competitor. We must stay calm and stick to our plan, then I am sure we can get points.”

However, you can’t just think that a strong mentality will be enough to keep you away from the drop zone. No matter how well someone prepares mentally, they will still need to get things done physically too.

“I think you can be as strong as you want mentally, but if your legs do not perform, it does not help you much. And you can be as strong as you want physically, but if your mind is not in it, that does not help you either,” said Bittencourt. “That is why, as I said before, you need a certain mix, a certain calmness in your head, but also a clear focus to be there at the weekend and to be stable. You have to be mentally stable, because there are things going on that would not happen in a normal game. There is a bit of provoking here and a bit there. You have to keep a cool head and also be physically ready to keep going.”

Fortunately for Bittencourt, as mentioned prior, Bremen should have enough to avoid the drop this campaign. While it’s a step back from previous years, and it’s not the best season he’s had, the Werder cult hero will be happy to end his time at the Weserstadion by securing safety.

“That is the only wish and the only goal I have left here, to end everything on a positive note.”