Patrick Chick He knows what it means to start from scratch, get back up after difficulties and deal with setbacks. At almost 28 years old (that will be celebrated on January 24th), he has gone through a failed transfer due to heart problems, several injuries that can no longer be counted and a reputation that has been destroyed and rebuilt. In addition to his talent, the Czech now has a tough exterior. And it is also thanks to him that he will once again become an important player in the world in this final of 2023 Bavarian Leverkusenafter a calendar year it is practically always at a standstill.
Chic, a nightmare 2023
As of October 25th, Patrik Schick’s number of minutes played in 2023 was around 135. One and a half games. 3 times. Everything was concentrated in less than a month, between the second half of February and the first of March. Never as a starter, always coming off the bench. He was out of action for over three months due to an adductor injury he had suffered since the Bundesliga break for the World Cup.
After returning and the performances at the end of the game saw him relapse to end the season that should have established him early, especially given the 27 goals the year before that secured him qualification for the Champions League. He only stopped at four centers, but what was worse, he stopped for a few more months and skipped practically the entire summer preseason with the team. Only a year and a half ago, the former Roma and Sampdoria player extended his contract with the Werkself until 2027 and seemed to have found the ideal place to express his great potential.
Returning in style
Despite the (undoubtedly successful) purchase of Victor BonifaceFor Bayer, Schick was always an important part of the squad, especially given the ability to compete on multiple fronts and the need to generate turnovers. As soon as he had him available again, Xabi Alonso tried to give him playing minutes straight away at the end of October. It’s a shame that after half an hour in the Europa League with Qarabag and a handful of minutes with Freiburg, a calf problem sent him back to the infirmary.
On November 30th he marked the second real comeback – in the Europa League against the Swedish club Hacken – with a goal, three days later he provided Bonifatius with the decisive assist against Dortmund to prevent the first defeat of the season. This week he scored another goal in the cup against Paderborn and then repeated it again in the European Cup against Molde. 3 goals and an assist in the last 5 gameson average, join a network every 40 minutes.
Now he is called upon to confirm himself in the two games against Eintracht and Bochum at the end of the year, then he can use the break to get back to his best for a while 2024 could be the year of his rebirth. Maybe even celebrate his first trophy with Leverkusen, and not as an extra.
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