Peter Gulacsi would certainly have liked to have done without his current pioneering role. The RB Leipzig goalkeeper has involuntarily become something of a symbol of the fast pace of soccer. Almost exactly 14 months ago, Gulacsi was living in a perfect professional world: number one for RB Leipzig and Hungary, captain of the DFB Cup winners, undisputed top performer. One cruciate ligament rupture later, the reality looks much more bitter: His regular place is on the bench, a nomination for the European Championship in Germany in jeopardy.
On Wednesday (18:45/DAZN), Gulacsi will be allowed to play in the Leipzig stadium again for the first time. "There is a great desire to have him play from the start against Bern and to give him playing time because he is important for us," said coach Marco Rose. Gulacsi will be able to prove himself against Young Boys in the Champions League in the very competition in which his personal drama began on October 5, 2022.
Cup as a consolation prize
The 33-year-old tore his cruciate ligament after 13 minutes against Celtic Glasgow. A few weeks later, Gulacsi had to go under the knife again and the recovery was more complicated than expected. During this time, he was overtaken by his rival Janis Blaswich, who even earned an invitation to the DFB squad with his impeccable performances over a long period of time. Coach Rose had no choice but to leave Blaswich in goal. "There's no reason to discuss it," said Rose.
