Benjamin Henrichs: 'I Heard My Achilles Go Bang Amid 75,000 Screaming Fans'
Above the noise of 75,000 people at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, Benjamin Henrichs still heard the moment his Achilles tendon ruptured. "When you are in the stadium and there are 75,000 people screaming and you hear your own body, it's a real shock in that moment," the RB Leipzig defender recalls. "The fact that I heard it, I knew: 'OK, this is something I never experienced before'. I was crying on the floor and then, after everyone had come to help, I tried to lift myself. But I could already see they had cut off my football boot."
The 28-year-old German international had never suffered a serious injury throughout his career until that fateful day in December 2024. He had never torn anything, never needed surgery. But as he turned to challenge Raphael Guerreiro during the match, he crumpled to the floor in agony.
"The first time I saw it, it gave me goosebumps because it's not like I got hurt in a duel or something," Henrichs explains. "But I wanted to see it because I could not understand how I got injured from a normal movement that I do every day."
The consequences were immediate and severe. Henrichs' season was over, and his hopes of representing Germany in this week's Nations League quarter-final against Italy vanished. He will also miss the final stages in June should his country advance.
Despite this setback, Henrichs remains remarkably positive, seeking growth opportunities throughout his rehabilitation journey. Yet he acknowledges the fear that accompanies such a serious injury. "Especially throughout the rehab. I'm not there yet, but whenever I start training, I'll be thinking about my left side. What will happen if I just change direction or jump using my left foot? I have to regain my confidence and trust in my body, that will be a huge step."
Fortunately, Henrichs has not faced this challenge alone. Following his injury, friends and family flew in from around the world to support him. Joshua Kimmich, the German national team captain, showed his support by arranging for a doner kebab to be sent to Henrichs' hospital room in Munich. Though the first attempt went astray, the second delivery made it, providing comfort during a vulnerable moment.
That same weekend, his former club-mate Dominik Szoboszlai scored for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur and made a "39" gesture—Henrichs' shirt number—into the television camera. "It's in times like this you see how much people care about you and how much you mean to them," Henrichs says with appreciation.
Faith has played a significant role in his recovery process. "My friends and faith: these things have carried me through rehab because I've never been injured before and I didn't know how to deal with it," he explains. "When I got the injury, I was staying in Munich that night in the hotel. As I was lying there, I was wondering how I could have this kind of injury and why God let this happen. But God brought me to where I am now and I could also have got this injury when I was 18, in the step between youth and professional football. If that had happened, I wouldn't be where I am now."
Currently three months into what doctors expect to be an eight-month recovery, Henrichs has had to adjust to a more dependent lifestyle. "I can't do anything at the moment. I cannot even drive. I'm dependent on my girlfriend because she has to drive me to training and to cook. With the crutches, it's not possible to take the crutches and get a plate of food. She has to do everything," he admits. "I already told her that as soon as I can walk again, she needs to go on vacation."
Inspired by Hector Bellerin's documentary about his ACL recovery at Arsenal, Henrichs decided to create his own—titled "Faith Over Fear"—to document his journey. "I wanted to show the people like, OK, you get to see Henrichs on the pitch, but you don't know Benny. You don't know the person and you don't know what comes with an injury and what happens through the process," he explains. "I just wanted to show people that there are setbacks. There are moments where you are not always happy, but you see really who I am and how I'm dealing with the injury."
This documentary has connected him with others facing similar challenges. He regularly speaks with PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe, who has torn his Achilles twice, receiving valuable guidance on what to expect at different stages of recovery. He's also formed an unexpected bond with Bayer Leverkusen's Martin Terrier, who suffered a similar injury in January. Though they weren't acquainted before, they now actively exchange messages comparing their scars and sharing rehabilitation experiences.
Henrichs has expanded his recovery perspective by spending time at Red Bull's Athletic Performance Centre in Salzburg, where he's swapped notes with athletes from entirely different disciplines, including an Olympic rock climber and a breakdancer.
The injury has also changed his daily habits. "I cannot just be someone who lies in bed or sits in front of the television," he says with a laugh. He's turned to reading more, including Kobe Bryant's "Mamba Mentality," which details the NBA legend's return from a similar Achilles injury in 2013. He's also drawn inspiration from Aaron Rodgers' Netflix documentary about the quarterback's recovery from an Achilles rupture at the start of the 2023 NFL season. "Each Achilles injury is their own story," Henrichs reflects.
Looking ahead, Henrichs harbors strong ambitions to represent Germany at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. At 29 when the tournament begins, and having missed out in both 2018 and 2022, he knows this could be his final opportunity to play on football's biggest stage.
For now, he focuses on the small victories. During his rehabilitation, he's chosen to use a separate gym from Leipzig's first team at their Cottaweg training center—preferring solitude to maintain his focus and perhaps to avoid the painful reminder of what he's missing.
But positive milestones are starting to emerge: a successful scan, running on grass, kicking a ball. And this week, after three months of struggle, he can finally discard his crutches and begin walking again—a small but significant step on his long road back to the pitch.
