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Leverkusen (dpa / lnw) - Peter Bosz was visibly dejected, but the Bayer Leverkusen coach quickly found his fighting spirit.
When he was asked after the bitter 1: 2 defeat against FC Bayern Munich and the loss of the league lead a minute before Christmas in the Sky interview who would become German champions at the end of the season, the Dutchman put on a mischievous grin and answered with a firm voice : "Bayer 04 Leverkusen."
Now Bosz has a dry sense of humor, especially in bitter hours.
After the quarter-finals in the Europa League, he jokingly announced the change from Kai Havertz to Heracles Almelo.
But the appearance of his team in the final of the Christmas championship strengthened Bosz in his belief in his team despite the goal in stoppage time.
And of his game philosophy.
«For me, the positive is right at the top», assured Bosz: «Because we have shown that we can keep up with the best team in Europe.
That gives us the self-confidence that we can play as we want against the really big ones. "
Because in contrast to the 2: 4 in the cup final in July, Bayer did not leave the initiative to Munich this time, but acted courageously and even had more possession in the end.
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Of course, the defeat by two gross individual errors at the gates of world footballer Robert Lewandowski (43./90.+3) also served as an indication of what Bayer is still missing from the real title candidate.
And again as a confirmation of the cliché of the Leverkusen team, who just fail whenever it applies.
"Those were two stupid goals," said Bosz: "We have to learn from that."
Lukas Hradecky meanwhile used a proverb from home to aptly summarize the emotional state.
"In Finland we say: we shot ourselves in the ankle," said the goalkeeper.
When asked whether the 1-1 draw was due to a misunderstanding on him or on defender Jonathan Tah, who also failed in the second goal, Hradecky did not react easily.
"It doesn't matter what it is," he said:
Next question please. "
It was boiling in Hradecky, “because we were at least on a par with the best team in the world and we lost undeservedly.
That's damn annoying. "
But even the ambitious Finn immediately felt defiant motivation.
«That won't shake us.
We deserve to be where we are, ”he said of second place at the turn of the year.
But he doesn't want to look at the table until after the 34th and final matchday.
Will Bayer be up there?
"Why not?" Said the 31-year-old.
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In any case, Hansi Flick apparently also sees the Werkself as real competitors.
"I have to take my hat off to them," said the Bayern coach: "The coach's idea is great, I like it."
Information about the game at bundesliga.de
Press conference with Hansi Flick
Press conference with Peter Bosz