Hincapie on Leverkusen, Alonso and hunger to win | Interview | News

A return to Champions League action with a last 16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen is an exciting point in our season for everyone in our squad. But for Piero Hincapie, this tie is particularly special, as he’s been telling BILD.

In 2023/2024, Piero was part of the Leverkusen team which won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double without losing a single game.

Now on loan with us, the Ecuadorian returns to his parent club, and he’s looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.

“I was happy,” Piero told BILD, “(I) sent some messages to the guys from Leverkusen.

“It will be a special situation for me to play against the club where I had such a good time, but that’s football. It will certainly be nice to see everyone again.”

Our no.5 arrived at Leverkusen as a 19-year-old prospect, and rose through the ranks to become a regular starter in their invincible title-winning team.

But the confidence he’s displayed in his performances for both clubs is something Piero had to work hard to build.

“When I arrived in Leverkusen, I only spoke Spanish. Because of that, I was initially too shy to ask the physio for treatment.

“Now I laugh about it. That’s just one example of how much I’ve grown in Leverkusen, both as a footballer and as a person.

“I’m very grateful to the club for allowing me to develop so well there and leave a lasting mark with the double in 2023/2024.”

Having tasted success with Leverkusen, Piero is keen to replicate that as a Gunner.

Asked what we can learn from that double-winning side he was part of in 2024, Piero insisted that we’re heading in the right direction to secure major titles.

“Arsenal already have the most important thing: everyone here is incredibly hungry for titles. So we’re really all pulling in the same direction.

“The coaching staff’s plans are working out really well so far. It has to stay that way until the very last second, then we’ll have something to celebrate at the end of the season.

“I want to win every title, but the road is still long, the competition is fierce, and you always need a bit of luck. But we absolutely need a major title – no matter what.”

Piero is also in the unique position of having been coached by both Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, with the latter in charge of Leverkusen during that famous 2023/2024 season.

Alonso came into a Leverkusen team which had never won the Bundesliga title, and then coached his side to an unbeaten success.

“Xabi changed the team’s mentality,” Piero said of his former manager, “during the double-winning season, every single player truly wanted to win every game.

“Even when we were behind, we always believed we could win. Do you remember how many league games we won in stoppage time? That wasn’t a coincidence.”

Having tasted success under Alonso, Piero is hoping to replicate that with us under Mikel.

The two managers grew up as childhood friends, something our defender says was clear to see as soon as he joined us in the summer.

“You can tell. Their playing philosophies are different, but in terms of character, the two are quite similar.

“They both have this incredibly strong passion for winning football matches. You can feel it in the intensity of every training session and in every conversation. That’s what makes them special.”