Rolfes reveals how Hermann pushed him to become a Germany international

Sporting director Simon Rolfes credits the late Peter Hermann as a key mentor in his career, as Leverkusen beat Leipzig while wearing a black armband.

Simon Rolfes has credited the late Peter Hermann as a decisive mentor for his career at Bayer Leverkusen and with the German national team. The club's sporting director spoke a day after the home win over RB Leipzig about the former assistant coach.

Hermann died on Saturday from the nerve disease ALS. The team wore a black armband in the match against Leipzig and observed a minute of silence before kick-off. The victory, with goals from Patrik Schick and Miguel Gutiérrez, was a second consecutive Bundesliga win. The full fixtures schedule shows the next away game at FSV Mainz 05.

Rolfes' personal gratitude

Simon Rolfes, who joined Bayer Leverkusen from Alemannia Aachen, credited Hermann with playing a major role in his development into an international player. He said it was also a win for Peter Hermann, which made him very happy. It was also very strange for him to experience the minute of silence and then a Bundesliga match. Peter would have been satisfied with the team today. Hermann repeatedly motivated and supported him during difficult phases. Under this guidance, Rolfes made his Germany debut.

The senior squad continues its positive development with three wins from its last five competitive matches. A look at the stats shows top scorer Patrik Schick. The win over Leipzig was emotionally charged but also sportingly important for the rest of the campaign. Leverkusen must now use the international break to consolidate form before facing fifth-placed Mainz. The current standings show the gap to the leaders.