The news of Mino Raiola signing Rolin swept across Europe the very next day.
Rolin knew he didn’t have that much influence.
The only explanation was that Mino Raiola had leaked the news.
And the motive wasn’t hard to guess—it was to build hype for him.
Rolin didn’t mind him doing this.
After all, even superstars of Messi and Ronaldo’s caliber used hype, let alone a nobody like him.
For Rolin at this stage, the more exposure, the better.
There was another important reason why Mino Raiola chose to build hype now: RB Leipzig’s performance on the pitch.
Under Rolin’s leadership, the RB Leipzig youth team remained undefeated so far, sitting firmly at the top of the League.
The first team’s performance was even more stunning; they were taking the Bundesliga by storm with a youth movement, capturing the attention of the entire European football world.
In the first round of the League, RB Leipzig faced a strong Hoffenheim side, coming from behind twice to secure a valuable point away from home.
In the second round of the League, RB Leipzig hosted the “Black and Yellows,” Borussia Dortmund, taking all three points at home thanks to Naby Keïta’s 89th-minute goal.
Subsequently, RB Leipzig thrashed Hamburger SV and held Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Cologne to draws.
After five rounds of the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig remained undefeated with 2 wins and 3 draws, ranking seventh in the League.
RB Leipzig’s ability to achieve such good results was inseparable from their summer signings.
During this summer window, Timo Werner transferred over from VfB Stuttgart.
Although he was only 20 years old, he had already been fighting in the Bundesliga for three seasons.
During his time at VfB Stuttgart, he made 95 appearances and scored 23 goals, showing decent finishing ability.
In an interview, he stated that the core reason he chose to join RB Leipzig was that he was drawn to the club’s well-developed academy system and youth-oriented squad-building philosophy.
Compared to the constant pressure of relegation battles at VfB Stuttgart, the atmosphere at RB Leipzig was more relaxed, which suited a young player like him.
While the atmosphere was more relaxed, the competitive pressure had also multiplied.
Davie Selke, Yussuf Poulsen, Marcel Sabitzer, Emil Forsberg, Dominik Kaiser…
RB Leipzig’s frontline was stacked with talent, and it wouldn’t be easy for Werner to secure a consistent starting spot.
However, Werner was still quite formidable at this stage.
In the third round against Hamburger SV, he scored a brace with a header and a shot, and also provided an assist.
In the fourth round against Gladbach, he scored another equalizer to help the team escape with a point.
In the fifth round against FC Cologne, it was Werner again, scoring in his third consecutive match to help the team secure a point away from home.
With his stellar performances in these three matches, Werner gradually cemented his place in the starting lineup.
RB Leipzig’s other blockbuster signing, Naby Keïta, was equally eye-catching on the pitch.
The 2015-16 Austrian Bundesliga Player of the Year had helped Red Bull Salzburg secure back-to-back domestic doubles.
The 21-year-old midfielder excelled in both offense and defense.
In attack, he possessed great vision and superb ball-carrying ability to escape pressure, allowing him to tear through opponent lines in an instant; In defense, he was highly aggressive, fitting perfectly into the high-pressing system and serving as the engine for midfield transitions.
In the crucial match against Borussia Dortmund, it was his late winner that killed off the “Black and Yellows,” proving his worth.
One had to admit that Ralf Rangnick had an incredibly sharp eye; both signings were absolute masterstrokes.
Today’s RB Leipzig was full of vigor, taking the Bundesliga by storm with a massive youth movement.
— As October arrived, the weather began to turn cold, and the autumn chill grew stronger.
On the training ground of the RB Leipzig Academy, Rolin was practicing his shooting.
With a dull “thud,” the ball flew straight toward the top-right corner of the goal.
Wallenstein lunged off the ground, executing a beautiful diving save.
His body stretched to its limit as he tried to tip the ball away, but the ball carried heavy spin, changing direction the moment it brushed his gloves and flying straight into the net.
Wallenstein sighed helplessly and sprawled out on the ground like a starfish.
“I can’t do this anymore, Rolin.
I feel like my fingers are about to break.
Go find someone else to keep goal.” Rolin felt a bit guilty.
Tormenting Wallenstein like this every day really wasn’t right.
He knew very well how much power his shots packed.
Even with gloves on, the impact was still incredibly painful for the goalkeeper.
But he had no choice; the two backup goalkeepers had stopped playing with him long ago…
Rolin walked over with a smile and pulled Wallenstein up.
“Thanks for the hard work, Tom.
I’ll treat you to a big meal later.” “Is it Japanese food?
The sushi you brought last time were amazing!” Wallenstein immediately regained his energy.
“It’s just a pity I only got a few pieces before that guy Ermedin snatched them all.” “I’ll have my mom make more this time to make sure everyone gets their fill, don’t worry!” Rolin promised, patting his chest.
Wallenstein was thrilled, but his brow quickly furrowed again.
“Rolin, we’re playing VfL Wolfsburg tomorrow.
Do you think we can win?” “If you ask me, of course we’ll win—because our team has me!” Rolin patted his shoulder with a cocky grin.
— The next day, the ultimate showdown in the North-Northeast Region officially kicked off.
RB Leipzig U19 faced VfL Wolfsburg U19.
Last season, VfL Wolfsburg put up an excellent record of 18 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses, finishing as runners-up in the Youth League.
RB Leipzig had lost both of their matches against Wolfsburg, conceding four goals in the process.
This season, Wolfsburg remained in red-hot form, staying undefeated with 5 wins and 1 draw in the first 6 rounds, ranking second in the League.
So it was no wonder Wallenstein was worried; Wolfsburg’s strength was indeed formidable.
Rolin had repeatedly studied Wolfsburg’s match tapes before the game and knew their playstyle inside out.
Wolfsburg’s attack was mainly concentrated on the left flank, with left-back Itter being their primary threat, having delivered 10 assists in 22 matches.
In midfield, Saglam was the team’s only ball-carrier, responsible for organizing and linking up the entire team’s attack.
Wolfsburg rarely attempted long diagonal switches, focusing instead on short ground passes to penetrate the defense.
Center-forward Nieland was responsible for attacking crosses in the box, while Gaines and Kara on the right flank looked to clean up the second balls.
On the defensive end, Wolfsburg deployed two defensive midfielders.
Neuwirth was responsible for central interceptions and breaking up plays, while Nick Otto handled aerial duels and positioning cover.
The two combined with great chemistry, building a defensive shield in midfield.
This tactical system was highly mature, but it possessed a fatal weakness.
Wolfsburg was extremely reliant on Saglam’s ball-carrying and Itter’s overlapping runs in attack; once these two players were shut down, their offense would grind to a halt.
At the same time, when Itter pushed far forward, a massive space would inevitably be left behind him, which was the most obvious vulnerability in Wolfsburg’s defensive line.
And this would be the perfect opportunity for him and Diawusie.
Both of their speed and ball-carrying abilities were top-tier; as long as space opened up on the flanks, they were confident they could tear through the opponent’s defense and change the scoreline.
As a peak showdown between the League’s top two teams, the anticipation for this match was absolutely off the charts.
A light rain began to fall in Wolfsburg, leaving the spectators in the stands shivering, but the cold could not dampen their passion for football.
Rolin warmed up on the sidelines, gradually tuning his body to peak condition.
He felt his chance to break into the first team had arrived—this clash of giants was his ultimate test!