"He is a great guy, everyone loves him because he helps the team, is selfless - and that quality is the most important for me," Carles Martínez said on SPORT1 after Ibrahim Maza finished ninth in the Kopa Trophy vote at the Ballon d'Or gala in London on Monday. Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona took first place, but Martínez spent most of his remarks making the case for Maza's mentality and his place in Bayer Leverkusen's plans.
Martínez's view of Maza
Martínez's comparison with Harry Kane was telling. "Yesterday Harry Kane won this trophy - also for his abilities as a team player and as a person," he said, adding that a year ago Maza would not have expected to be there and should keep working and being himself.
The Leverkusen coach also made his long-term position clear. "I never think about that. We are so happy with him and want to keep him here for many, many years."
Maza's form gives that praise some weight. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 Bundesliga appearances this season, and he has also scored once in 2 Europa League appearances. In the cup, he has already added 1 assist in 1 DFB-Pokal appearance.
Leverkusen's next game
The club do not have much time before the next test of that confidence. Bayer Leverkusen face second-tier 1. FC Nürnberg in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday at 20:45, with Martínez set to judge Maza again in a knockout game just days after the Kopa Trophy spotlight.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
