Bayer Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich: "I want to go to the World Cup"
Bayer Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich has a big 2026 ahead. In anticipation of the Bundesliga's return this weekend, the 31-year-old sat down to discuss his and the Werkself's goals for this year, as well as the season so far.
Robert, Happy new year! What are your goals for 2026?
Robert Andrich: "I'm not really someone for new year’s resolutions, but of course I have goals. I want to be successful with Leverkusen and, if possible, win a trophy. Once you've experienced it, and I experienced it relatively late in my career, then you want to experience it again. We have every opportunity to do that. Personally, the last two months have been very good after a difficult start, so I want to build on that and continue to deliver good performances. I also want to go to the World Cup in the summer.”
What were your highlights and lowlights of 2025?
Andrich: “The period with the two red cards was mentally quite tough. I can deal relatively well with criticism, but it was not a particularly easy phase. I was able to get out of this period because I have good people around me and a good family support system. In terms of highlights, the last month of the year was very nice, and I personally played quite well. It was topped off with the headed goal against Cologne, a game which we won - that was the highlight of the season so far.”
It may be a new year, but we're still in the first half of the season. How do you feel about the first 15 matchdays, and what are you looking forward to between now and the end of the season?
Andrich: “The season started very turbulently, with lots going on around the club. Then we were in Brazil for pre-season, which was also something new. So many things were happening that the team took a while to get to grips with it all.
Watch: Andrich scored in Leverkusen's 2-0 win over Cologne
"We had a new coach, a completely new squad, and found ourselves in another country on another continent. We dealt with it quite well, but at some point, we realised that it simply was not working with Erik [ten Hag]. I think we did very well after that if you look at how many points we have and the fact that we are still in the DFB Cup. In the UEFA Champions League, we started badly, but now we still have a chance to get into the play-offs."
How much are you looking forward to the next two games against VfB Stuttgart and Hamburg?
Andrich: “We're starting with a top game against Stuttgart. The matches against them in the past few seasons have always been exciting. This is what we're preparing for again. We're not looking too far ahead to Hamburg, because that comes afterwards. It'll be hard work against Stuttgart at the weekend.”
Are you looking forward to a midweek game almost immediately?
Andrich: “When we went into the break, we knew that things would start up again very quickly - I think we have 10 games in one month. Physically, it was not a very long break, but mentally it was good to relax after so many games in such a short period of time. Now it’s about who's able to get up to speed the quickest. We hope that we are able to achieve this quicker than the others.”
At the start of the season, you became Leverkusen captain. What has changed since you were appointed to the role?
Andrich: “At the start, I thought that it wouldn't be so different because I was always someone who liked to take on responsibility. However, when you have the armband, you think that you have to do more on and off the pitch and look after people more.
"However, you don’t have to necessarily do that because they come automatically when you take on a certain responsibility within the team. You don’t have to do it because you have the armband, it simply comes from the individual."
What is your relationship with Kasper Hjulmand like?
Andrich: “We get on very well. He does a great job at having individual conversations with players, which I think is very important if you want to have everyone on board. These small conversations to explain a formation or a certain tactic allow players to deal with things easier. If I know why I haven’t been selected, then I can deal with it better than if I just see the starting formation and see that I’m not involved. The coach and I have a very good relationship.
"He called me before he arrived here and told me that he's impressed with me as a player and as a person, and I think this continues to be the case. He is a good coach but also a very good person.”
You've been used as both a centre-back and a central midfielder this season. Do you have a preference? How has your influence on a game changed?
Andrich: “Feeling comfortable is always a difficult question in football. First and foremost, I want to be on the pitch. Because of our setup and the way we've developed as a team, the coach prefers to have me in the middle of a back three. I have the most input because I have the whole game ahead of me and I can see the game differently in the middle of a back three compared to elsewhere.
"I try to fulfil the tasks of any given position to the best of my ability in order to improve the players around me. I'm less worried about whether I'm playing at the back or in defensive midfield and more concerned with putting in a good performance.”
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