According to Goal.com, just two years ago, Andrich caught the attention of German football fans: at the home European Championship, he unexpectedly became a starter in every match for the German team coached by Nagelsmann, with his striking red hair and his resilience in midfield duels both on full display. He was responsible for protecting midfielders like Toni Kroos and Gündoğan, until Germany's dramatic elimination by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals.

Since then, Andrich has no longer been first choice for the national team, and Nagelsmann did not bring him to the World Cup last summer. At club level, the situation became even bleaker: after a disappointing season performance and finishing sixth while failing to qualify for the Champions League, Carles Martinez took over at Bayer Leverkusen, and the Spanish coach quickly made clear he had no intention of relying heavily on Andrich.

In mid-August, he stripped Andrich of the captain's armband and gave it to Tapsoba. Martinez said: "For now, he plays a more secondary role in this midfield position." He then added: "At least he knows what to think about now. This way he can prepare for what might be the best outcome for him and for us." From the coach's perspective, the best outcome for all parties seemed clear at that time: a departure.

Andrich's situation recalled Goretzka at Bayern Munich. In the summer of 2024, Kompany and Bayern's management also painted only a picture of the bench for him, attempting to force him out of the squad.

After Andrich was stripped of the captaincy, his wife, Alicia, intervened for the first time. She certainly already knew about her husband's demotion, and she posted only a short Spanish phrase, easily understood even by a coach like Carles Martinez: "Karma will take care of everything." Afterward, she denied on social media that the comment was directed at this specific situation, but this only fueled further speculation.

Andrich clearly was unwilling to accept this new secondary role, and perhaps his wife wasn't either. Therefore, Bundesliga clubs like Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig were reported to see an opportunity and began inquiring about the 31-year-old player. However, by the end of the previous weekend, a deal had not materialized. Then came a new development: Carles Martinez's press conference before Bayer Leverkusen's opening Bundesliga away match against Elversberg.

When asked whether he had spoken with Andrich about his role this season, he answered in halting English: "Honestly, I haven't spoken with him yet." A spot on the bench seemed clear, and there was no direct communication with the head coach: by Friday, everything appeared to point toward Andrich's imminent departure.

After that, Bayer Leverkusen's first Bundesliga away match against Elversberg kicked off, and the away side fell behind 2-0 within 10 minutes, eventually losing 3-2. Shortly after, Alicia Andrich intervened for the second time: she liked a "Kicker" post titled "Petkov makes history: Elversberg's first Bundesliga goal," then unliked it a few hours later. Andrich remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes, playing no part, as Bayer Leverkusen struggled in this difficult match against the promoted side – and this seemed to amuse his wife.

It is now impossible to confirm whether that disappointing defeat was the reason for Bayer Leverkusen's sudden change of heart regarding Andrich's future, but it is quite possible it was one factor. Additionally, Bayer Leverkusen's midfield lost Palacios, who joined promoted Premier League side Ipswich. Kenneth Eichhorn was absent due to a long-term injury, and Ezequiel Fernández failed to replicate his impressive pre-season form against Elversberg, suddenly making Andrich important again. Martinez said after the defeat: "He is here. He is a leader in our team." And suddenly, "leader" sounded very different from "secondary role."

However, the coach also clarified that his statement about not speaking with Andrich had been misunderstood: "Yes, I said I hadn't spoken with Robert. More precisely, I hadn't spoken with him since Palacios left." He clarified this on Saturday. After this verbal walkback, "Kicker" reported on Monday that Andrich, after a series of dramatic events, would ultimately not leave and would remain at Bayer Leverkusen.

As for whether the "karma" mentioned by Alicia Andrich earlier truly contributed to this change of heart, the answer remains unclear. In football, much can change in an instant – and Andrich may soon prove this once again. For his part, Goretzka also resurfaced in late autumn 2024 after spending several months on Bayern's bench. Last season, he suddenly became a regular starter for Bayern again, then joined Aston Villa – two years later, just like Andrich now, he was verbally pushed to the brink of departure.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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