Only Schmid has been with the club longer
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This article was first published at 4:32 p.m. and was subsequently updated with official confirmation from Bittencourt.
Leonardo Bittencourt and SV Werder Bremen will not extend the contract that expires next summer and will go their separate ways. This decision was made in the last few days and confirmed by the player himself on Tuesday after Sky first reported on it. From January 1st, the midfielder can officially negotiate a free transfer with interested clubs.
“After seven intensive years, it is time for me to share something with you that is not easy for me: I will be leaving Werder Bremen at the end of the season,” wrote Bittencourt in a post on Instagram and thanked the club and the fans. “At the same time, I feel that the moment has come for me to take on another new challenge. I feel in great shape and have a great desire to continue taking on responsibility. Whether in Germany or abroad, that remains to be seen.”
Bittencourt has been under contract at the Weser since summer 2019 and has not played more games for any other club. The 31-year-old was on the field 179 times for the green-whites, but his sporting influence has steadily declined in recent years. This season there were only eight appearances over 233 minutes under Horst Steffen.
In the locker room, Bittencourt’s words carried weight until the end. Behind substitute goalkeeper Markus Kolke, the German-Brazilian is the oldest player in the squad and only Romano Schmid has been at the club six months longer. It is not yet known where Bittencourt, who has a market value of 1.5 million euros, will go. According to Sky, there is interest from the Bundesliga and Major League Soccer.
