Szoboszlai expresses hope that Leipzig take Bundesliga title

FC Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai – speaking a pre-match presser yesterday – conveyed his feelings ahead of his return to his old club in this evening’s Champions’ League fixture. 

Hungarian national team captain Dominik Szoboszlai admitted that he hadn’t had much time to think about RB Leipzig after departing for the Isle in the summer of 2023. The 23-year-old spent two seasons with the German Red Bulls, scoring a total of 20 goals in 91 appearances across all competitions. Twice, he was able to celebrate a DFB-Pokal win with the Saxons.

“I’m happy to be back here and can’t wait to come to the stadium and see my old friends and coaching staff again,” Szoboszlai noted at a Tuesday presser alongside Liverpool FC trainer Arne Slot, “I couldn’t say goodbye to them because my transfer happened very quickly.”

The highly talented midfielder’s meteoric rise to one of the best box-to-box players in the Premiership and the Hungarian national team captaincy owes much to his stint in Germany. The English Reds were quick to recognize his potential, pulling a reported €70 million release clause in his RB contract 15 months ago.

The loss of Szoboszlai and others in the summer of 2023 is widely regarded to be one reason why Marco Rose’s team couldn’t contend for the title last year. Szobiszlai made clear that – after following the team thus far this year – he thought the current season might yield different fortunes.

“They have the chance to win the championship and I hope they can do it,” Szoboszlai said, “They have already won a few trophies, but they are still missing an important one. Why not this season? It could happen.”