Latest news with #BenjaminHenrichs
Forbes
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Faith Over Fear: Benjamin Henrichs On His Long Road Back From Injury
Benjamin Henrichs on the ground as he is being treated for his injury suffered in the Bundesliga ... [+] match against Bayern Munich. (Photo by Marcel Engelbrecht -) It was a brutal injury. We were deep into injury time when RB Leipzig's Benjamin Henrichs went down with an injury in the 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. 'It was a big bang, a massive noise that you could hear over the noise of the crowd,' Henrichs said to a group of select media last week when describing his Achilles tendon injury. The injury is Henrichs' first major setback. Indeed, a glance at the 28-year-old's injury history on Transfermarkt reveals that the national team player has missed just 45 games throughout his career. Putting that in perspective, Henrichs has already missed 23 games with this Achilles tendon injury and counting. Expectations are that Henrichs will miss at least the rest of the season. But despite that, Henrichs has set himself goals to return to full fitness. For athletes, life is all about setting goals—the next goal, the next game, the next tournament, and the next title. But top athletes also approach injuries by setting themselves goals—small milestones that show the steps towards achieving a comeback. 'A small goal was starting rehab,' Henrichs said. 'Then the goal was to get rid of the boot.' Then Henrichs points at his crutches. 'My next goal is to get rid of those. You have to set these goals because in the first three months or so you are not living a normal life.' Benjamin Henrichs' teammates hold up his jersey in the Bundesliga game following his Achilles tendon ... [+] injury (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images) Everyone who has ever experienced any sort of injury will appreciate what Henrichs is going through. For those who haven't, imagine you are a human at the very top of his or her physical conditioning suddenly reduced to the bare minimum. 'I'm dependent on my girlfriend for everything,' Henrichs said. 'She drives me around and helps me with food. I mean, it is impossible to walk around on crutches and do something as simple as carrying a plate. It is impossible.' You certainly get a sense that Henrichs also sees those things as personal challenges. Learning to deal with crutches and being limited as a person are just obstacles that need to be overcome the same way an attacker tries to score on his flank. To help cope with the injury, Henrichs has decided to document his rehab on YouTube. In the series Faith over Fear, Henrichs speaks about his injury experience and documents his rehab process step-by-step. There is a sense shooting the documentary provides Henrichs with extra motivation to get through the process. 'Yeah, for sure,' Henrichs said. 'I wanted to show people the process and that there are setbacks. This way, people can really tell who I am. And I get a lot of messages from people who are going through the same thing. For me, it is also about trying to help people.' One example is Martin Terrier from Leverkusen, who suffered a similar injury recently. 'When Martin Terrier from Leverkusen ruptured his Achilles, I got goosebumps directly,' Henrichs said. 'It was even harder to watch than my own injury. But I texted directly, and we updated each other and compared our scars. We are kind of Achilles besties now.' Other than Terrier, Henrichs has also been in touch with the likes of Axel Witsel and Presnel Kimpembe, who successfully overcame Achilles injuries in the past. 'I asked them what I should look out for,' Henrichs said. Speaking to those stars helped to keep up the confidence that a career after such a significant injury is possible. And Henrichs has some big goals. 'The long-term goal is to get back on the pitch,' Henrichs said. But there is also a more concrete goal for the Germany international. 'I want to be part of the World Cup team.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Leipzig's Henrichs focused on 'small goals' in return from horror injury
Germany and RB Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs is careful not to look too far ahead in his comeback from a horror Achilles rupture against Bayern Munich in December. Henrichs, 28, had never had a major injury in his career until he heard a "big bang, a massive noise" in his calf above the clamour of a 75,000-strong crowd at Munich's Allianz Arena. Henrichs fell to the turf and was carried off, unlikely to play again for the best part of a year. Speaking with AFP and other media, the former Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco player said he was focused on the next achievable step, even with the 2026 World Cup in North America on the horizon. "Especially through the rehab, one of the most important things is to set goals. Not goals like the World Cup -- this is the major goal, long-term -- but you have to set small goals. "A small goal was starting the rehab. Then the goal was to get rid of the boot. My next goal is to get rid of the crutches. "You have to set yourself these kind of goals, because -- especially in the first three months -- you're not living a normal life. "I'm dependent on my girlfriend. She has to drive me around, help me eat -- it's not possible to walk with your crutches and carry a plate. "Obviously, the long-term goal is to be back on the pitch -- and especially to be a part of the World Cup team." - 'Achilles besties' - After hovering on the fringes of the Germany side despite making his debut in 2016, Henrichs has re-established himself in the national team since the World Cup in Qatar. The 19-time capped Germany player said he was inspired by other athletes who had the same injury, including the late Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, while reaching out to several contemporaries. Bryant famously stayed on the court to make both free throws after tearing his Achilles in an NBA game in 2013. "I think it's important not to compare, because when I saw he just made his free-throws, I felt not so strong, let's say it like that," said Henrichs. "I spoke to (Atletico Madrid's Axel) Witsel and to (France and Paris Saint-Germain's Presnel) Kimpembe, asking what happened, what I should look for. "When Martin Terrier from Leverkusen ruptured his Achilles, I got goosebumps directly. "It was even harder to watch than my own injury. But I texted him directly, we update each other, compare our scars -- we're kind of Achilles besties now." During his recovery, Henrichs -- a Germany captain at lower age levels who made his professional debut at 18 -- has been working on a documentary, while spending some rare time with friends and family. "Last month was my birthday. It was the first birthday in years that I spent with my family. "I was able to spend the birthday not with football, but with my friends, with my family." dwi/dj
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
RB Leipzig vs. St. Pauli
Leipzig begin matchday 21 in fourth position despite experiencing an underwhelming run of results in the Bundesliga. Die Roten Bullen have not won a top-flight match since recording a 4-2 home victory over Werder Bremen on January 12. They followed that result with a narrow defeat to Stuttgart, before they played out three consecutive Bundesliga draws with Bochum, Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin. They could at least take some encouragement from the fact that last Saturday's goalless affair against Union ended a run of six league matches without a clean sheet. After picking up a point at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Leipzig will now return to the Red Bull Arena, where they have won two of their last three home league matches (D1). The hosts will be desperate to score the first goal, having won all four home league games this season where they have opened the scoring. Leipzig have already recorded a home victory over St. Pauli, recording a 4-2 win in October's DFB-Pokal tie. They are now looking to beat St. Pauli for the first time in the Bundesliga after playing out a goalless draw in September's reverse fixture. The hosts are unable to call upon the injured quartet of Benjamin Henrichs, Xaver Schlager, Assan Ouédraogo and Yussuf Poulsen. St. Pauli head into the weekend with a seven-point buffer to the bottom three after putting together a positive run of results in recent weeks. Alexander Blessin's side recorded a 2-0 away win over Heidenheim, before they claimed a commanding 3-0 victory in a home clash against Union Berlin. St. Pauli appeared to be on course to clinch a third consecutive win in last Saturday's meeting with Augsburg. Noahkai Banks's 17th-minute own goal gave St. Pauli the lead for the majority of the contest, only for Mert Kömür to score an 83rd-minute equaliser to deny them all three points. Nevertheless, they will still be pleased with the fact they have avoided defeat in each of their last three matches. St. Pauli will now head on the road with hopes of recording back-to-back away league victories for the first time this season after sweeping past Union in their most recent away trip. This will be St. Pauli's first visit to the Red Bull Arena since recording a narrow 1-0 win in a fixture in August 2015. St. Pauli are without the services of Robert Wagner, Manolis Saliakas, Morgan Guilavogui, Sascha Burchert, Simon Zoller and Karol Mets. Meanwhile, Connor Metcalfe is closing in on a return to action, but Sunday's contest will come too soon for the Australian midfielder.
