Overview
- Werner told the U.S. podcast The Late Run on Friday that opposing fans regularly booed him and sang abuse in nearly every stadium he visited.
- He said the sustained hostility left him “really, really at the bottom” at times and forced him to sit at home while he processed the pressure.
- Werner stressed that he never quit and that he is proud to have endured those phases, saying he kept playing despite facing crowds of 60,000 to 70,000 who would boo him.
- He placed the abuse in career context by recalling his rise from VfB Stuttgart to RB Leipzig (2016–2020), his 28-goal 2019–20 season, a Champions League win with Chelsea in 2021, and his current spell in MLS with San Jose, with BILD reporting 22 appearances, six goals and seven assists.
- His account points to how single incidents such as a 2016 dive against Schalke helped shape a lasting negative reputation and adds to public discussion about player mental health and how clubs and leagues support athletes.