Leipzig-Trainer Marco Rose’s New Addition
Leipzig-Trainer Marco Rose, at the age of 47, has added a new player to his team. The team’s roster has seen a new addition, though not in the position that many might have expected.
The new addition, defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu, who is just 18 years old, has joined the team from Paris with a transfer fee of 15 million euros before the season started. Bitshiabu could be a significant factor in the second half of the season, as he could potentially challenge national player David Raum, who is 25 years old. Although Raum was able to contribute an assist in his professional debut against Union in a match that ended 2-0 in their favor, his overall performance was considered mediocre. He currently does not have any serious competition in the squad, with the only nominal competition coming from Christopher Lenz.
Coach Rose sees a lot of potential in Bitshiabu, stating, “He has made great development. He’s really fun and very close.” There was a conversation between Rose and Bitshiabu just last week, facilitated by interpreter and team manager Babacar N’Diaye, who is 50 years old.
Rose commented on Bitshiabu’s performance, “Chad is training very well and is also in top physical shape. We had to discuss a few things at the beginning. He needs a bit of patience, as he has a lot of competition in central defense. However, playing as a left-back is an option.”
RB has always been strong in training and developing young defenders, with the likes of Josko Gvardiol who moved to ManCity, Ibrahim Konaté who transferred to Liverpool, Dayot Upamecano who was signed by Bayern, and Lukas Klostermann who is still with RB. The coaches have been successful in identifying top talents and giving them challenging opportunities.
Now, it’s Bitshiabu’s turn to prove himself. The tall defender, who stands at 1.96 meters, has already played once for the U19s in the Youth League after recovering from a torn knee ligament injury. The team deliberately did not include him in the event this Tuesday Play-off game against Midtjylland, which they won 4:2 after extra time. They believe that training with the professional team is more beneficial for Bitshiabu, which will hopefully result in more playing time for him in the future.
Leipzig U19 Makes History
Leipzig U19 team has made a historic achievement with a thrilling victory!
For the first time in the club’s history, the U19s reached the knockout round of the Youth League. They managed to knock out the favored Danish club FC Midtjylland 4-2 on penalties in the first round, marking a sensational achievement.
However, the game was a thrilling one: it started with an early deficit with a goal from Mikel Krüger-Johnsen at the 13th minute, a yellow-red card for Leipzig’s Tim Köhler at the 62nd minute, and then the equalizer from a corner with a header from Jonathan Norbye during the fifth minute of stoppage time. Despite the pressure, Head coach Sebastian Heidinger’s team managed to keep their nerves under control during the penalty shootout.
Coach Heidinger said, “We practiced penalty shootouts in training yesterday. What a team effort to come back like that and win the game.”
Next on the calendar: The draw for the round of 16 happens on Friday at 1pm. The U19 team only has one wish: to be able to play a home game this time.
