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.
Two consolation prizes remained for Gulacsi this season, he was allowed in goal in Wiesbaden and Wolfsburg in the cup. "It wasn't Peter's fault at all. He played a good game," praised sporting director Rouven Schröder after the defeat in the Autostadt. The game against Bern could even be his last in a Leipzig shirt.
Rumors of an early departure for the Hungarian, who is still tied down until 2025, have been doing the rounds for some time. There have been rumours that Gulacsi, like Emil Forsberg, could move to sister club New York in the winter. After all, the duo have the same advisor. However, as important as match practice is to Gulacsi, his demands are just as high. The long-distance solution of New York would be something of a last resort.
Blaswich and the mistakes
The veteran wants to recommend himself for the European Championship with group opponents Germany and remain in focus. In soccer, this is in Europe, which is why a transfer within the continent would be more likely in January.
However, something may still happen in Leipzig. Keyword fast pace. Because rival Blaswich has done something in recent weeks that he is not known for: He slipped up. In the defeat in Wolfsburg, he was just as guilty of conceding a goal as he was recently in Dortmund when he scored the equalizer in stoppage time. In addition, there were two actions in the win against Heidenheim that looked anything but confident and were lucky not to have any consequences.
Orban strengthens Gulacsi
"As a goalkeeper, it's clear that you're going to be punished from time to time. That's just part of it. The important thing is how you deal with it and how you carry on," said Blaswich on the Wolfsburg slip-up. Moving on was rather mixed. Although a change of goalkeeper is currently unlikely in Leipzig, Gulacsi is unlikely to have missed his rival's mistakes. Blaswich's performances up until the winter break will certainly be a factor in the former number one's considerations.
His successor as captain is far from writing him off. "It's not easy for Pete at the moment, but he has proven several times that he can also be difficult," Willi Orban told the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper. In 2015, Gulacsi came to Leipzig from Salzburg with a red ban in his luggage and was temporarily in goal for the second team. And then became one of the best Bundesliga goalkeepers, as Orban emphasized: "Pete works hard on himself and his form, has better physical values than ever. He is and remains a class goalkeeper, a top character and an important part of RB and the national team."
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