'It's all or nothing for us'

One thing was important for the Bender brothers at the end of the virtual press conference on Tuesday afternoon. On behalf of both of them, Sven had the final words for the journalists: "We'd like to say a big thank you to you all for always showing respect in dealing with each other over all the years." These parting words from the Bender brothers once again show the values shared by the 32-year-old Werkself stalwarts both on and off the pitch.

There are two games to go before they hang up their boots: Lars and Sven Bender are saying goodbye. The duo from Rosenheim announced in December 2020 that they would end their impressive playing careers in the summer. Lars joined Bayer 04 from 1860 Munich in 2009 and captained the Werkself from 2015 to the start of the current season. His twin brother Sven came to Leverkusen from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and, from that point, assumed an important leadership role both on and off the pitch just like his brother.

Lars Bender on the impending end to his playing career: We have given one hundred per cent in every training session and every game. Sometimes we were told to do a bit less. We tried that but it didn't really work. (he laughs) Therefore we came to recognise, given the many injuries, that we couldn't play with the same energy. And for us that it would be a letting ourselves down, our club and our fans. It's all or nothing for us. ….We've been able to prepare for our farewell for quite a while. During that period, we could appreciate all the things we've experienced. There are many memories and emotions. Above all, I'd like to thank the great people who I've been able to get to know over the years at the club. Lifetime friendships have been established. On the one hand, I feel sad but on the other, I'm looking forward to the "new" life.

Sven Bender on the farewell without fans: We would have preferred if it had been different but we are aware of the special situation we are in. Of course, some fans would like to have said farewell at the stadium – and it's exactly the same for us. But the decision to end a career should not be dependent on how you leave. The connection to the fans at the stadium in every game was and is of special importance to us. At the end of the day, we've shown what we can do in every game for 15 years and already said farewell. The shared experiences will be there forever.

Sven on the decision to go separate ways after the time at 1860 Munich: Before our moves, we spent every minute together. It was very important for our sporting and personal development to go our separate ways. We knew that step was necessary at that moment. It gave us both an incredible boost. We developed in a different direction. And when we got back together again, I noticed playing together worked well again.

Lars Bender on sporting managing director Rudi Völler: I'm glad they spent so much time trying to persuade me and that I moved to Bayer 04 in the end. In terms of Rudi as a person: He never puts on a front, is always authentic and honest. When he comes into a room and says something then people listen to him. He has a huge amount of experience.

Sven on injured key players and the change in personnel: Lots of experienced players were sidelined in the second half of the season but we shouldn't have dropped off in the way we did. The club manages to get a good group on the pitch every year. We were both dominant in the changing room with our approach. Our footsteps can be followed in the summer. I'm sure Leverkusen will have a very good group next season.

Lars on decisions in the past that he would do differently today: At certain points I should have missed a game and not done all I could to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. Perhaps there was too much ambition and love of the game.

Lars Bender on his and his brother Sven's abstinence from social media: We were often told to try it out. We did that. But we weren't convinced by what we saw. We preferred to have genuine interaction. For example, it was more important to us to sign autographs and talk to somebody for one or two minutes rather than tell everybody we're having our breakfast. (he laughs)

Sven Bender on future plans for him and his twin brother Lars: For starters, we'll head back home. We are really looking forward to that. And in terms of work: Lars and I have always thought outside the box during our careers and worked on things away from football. But, as ever, we will continue to keep our private lives to ourselves. We'll see what happens in the future in terms of sport. We're involved in discussions.