Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has downplayed Victor Boniface’s frustration during the team’s 4-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, insisting that the collective performance and result remain the priority, Footynaija.com reports.
Boniface, who started on the bench for the third consecutive match, was involved in a heated exchange with teammate Emiliano Buendía in stoppage time.
Leverkusen had a golden opportunity to extend their lead to 5-1 after a well-placed cross found Frankfurt’s defence exposed.
Victor Boniface has made 50 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, in which he has recorded 30 goals and 10 assists pic.twitter.com/P4HnlYFMYm
— 49th. (@the49thstreet) February 2, 2025
Buendía was first to react but failed to make clean contact. As he attempted a second effort, Boniface also went for the ball, leading to a mix-up that wasted the chance.
Frustrated, the Argentine lashed out at Boniface, who responded immediately. The situation escalated, with Boniface appearing to push Buendía after gesturing at him in frustration. Their teammates quickly intervened to defuse the situation.
Despite the altercation, Alonso dismissed any concerns, emphasizing the team’s unity.
Addressing the media post-match, Alonso made it clear that Boniface’s emotions were not an issue.
“He (Boniface) wanted to score a goal. It’s not a problem. We’ll talk about it. The most important thing is the team, the performance, and the result,” Alonso said, as quoted by Sport.
Xabi Alonso, Simon Rolfes, Jonathan Tah and Aleix García all commented on the dispute between Emi Buendía and Victor Boniface at the end of yesterday’s game, which their teammates had to break up to keep things from escalating
Xabi Alonso: “We don’t make a big deal out of… pic.twitter.com/PdGyKxaKXA
— WerkselfXtra (@bayer04Xtra) March 2, 2025
Boniface was introduced in the 77th minute, replacing compatriot Nathan Tella, who open3d the scoring in the encounter with a fine finish.
However, Boniface was unable to end his goal drought, which now stretches back to Leverkusen’s 3-2 victory over Köln in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals on February 5.
The 24-year-old Nigerian forward has made 19 appearances for the Bundesliga champions this season, starting 13 times. He has registered nine goals and one assist while averaging 57 minutes per game across all competitions.