Boniface's outburst deepens his exile at Bayer Leverkusen
In the 84th minute of Bayer Leverkusen's 4‑3 victory over Mainz 05, Victor Boniface sprinted straight to the dressing‑room, his frustration palpable. The 25‑year‑old striker has featured almost nowhere since his return, and the incident may cement his Aus from the first‑team plans.
Sparse minutes since his return
Since rejoining the squad, Boniface has seen virtually no game time. His only league appearance came on matchday one, a 2‑3 loss to SV Elversberg, where he played five minutes and even created a goal. His lack of minutes has left him on the periphery of the squad. In Christian Kofane's absence he was the sole nominal striker on the bench, ranked third in the club's internal hierarchy.
Earlier in the season the striker endured a year of injury setbacks, including a spell on loan at Werder Bremen that left his fitness in question. Despite those challenges, sporting director Simon Rolfes praised his week‑by‑week improvement, calling him a good component of training and the squad. Rolfes believes the striker’s attitude remains professional despite the setbacks.
Substitution row and Europa League exclusion
Coach Carles Martinez exhausted his substitution quota in the 84th minute, leaving no bench options for the remainder of the game. Boniface was visibly angry that Martinez chose offensive midfielder Jonas Hofmann to replace striker Patrick Schick, a decision that pushed the Nigerian further into the Aus.
Former captain Robert Andrich summed up the episode succinctly: “I have nothing to say about that. That is not my Baustelle, to be honest.” Martinez later said, “I did not notice it during the match and I know nothing about it. If it happened, we will speak with him,” adding that such choices are part of football. Rolfes tried to downplay the incident, joking, “I do not know if perhaps he needed to go to the toilet,” before noting, “Maybe he left the dressing‑room a bit early today; it will not happen again, and he will find his Platz in the squad soon.”
Boniface was omitted from Bayer Leverkusen’s Europa League squad and will not travel to face Lech Poznan, meaning he cannot feature in that competition. The club also confirmed that the striker remains a potential transfer target, with Saudi clubs showing interest and a previously discussed €70 million move to Al‑Nassr collapsing in January 2025. As long as Patrick Schick continues to feature, Boniface may still earn Bundesliga minutes in the coming weeks.