Hincapie: ‘It almost feels like a family’

In an interview for bayer04.de, the Ecuador international talks about the mentality of the team, the special relationship with his teammates and his targets for the Rückrunde.

04 questions for… Piero Hincapie

Piero, how did you feel at the moment the ball was in the net against Leipzig and what went through your mind before the corner?

Hincapie: I was convinced we could still do it somehow. Of course, I didn't think it would be me who got the ball over the line. (laughs)

Winning games like the ones against Leipzig and Augsburg (1-0) the week before demonstrates massive mentality. How did the current spirit in the team come about and how do you manage to maintain belief in yourselves in such a situation?

Hincapie: Now we've noticed that opponents focus on us more and more. But that doesn't put us off. We are an extremely competitive team and we are competitive amongst each other and that spurs us on. Some of our lads were and are unavailable due to AFCON and injuries. So we are even more aware that each and every one of us has to push ourselves to the absolute limit.

That also includes a good atmosphere amongst the group. You have lots of Spanish-speaking teammates in the side you clearly get on with very well – particularly Pala (Exequiel Palacios, ed.). How would you describe the relationship with him and the others?

Hincapie: A really great friendship with Pala has developed here – both on and off the pitch. We are real mates now. I can learn a lot from him and he can also learn something from me. Together, we have helped the "new boys" get on their feet at Bayer 04. But you have to say, for example, Grimaldo has brought a lot to the team from the start with his experience. He quickly fitted in and got up to speed. We Latinos and Spaniards are all on the same wavelength although we are the same with everybody else. Now you can say it's more than just a team, it almost feels like a family.

You've been at Leverkusen since 2021. You've experienced very different seasons since then. How do you look back at your time at Bayer 04 and what do you think will happen now?

Hincapie: The highlight for me so far was obviously my first goal in December 2021 against Greuther Fürth to make it 3-1  (Final score 7:1, ed). But alongside the many highs there are, of course, also low points. Nevertheless, we have again and again seen how things are coming together here, particularly now in this season. We want that to continue now – so we are able to do something for the fans here at Leverkusen, who always get behind us in good and bad times, and finally be able to give them something back.