Ridle Baku discusses new-look RB Leipzig, German national team, and his Mainz roots | OneFootball

Though there’s never been a shortage of “false dawns“, hopes that former German international Ridle Baku can finally find a way to revive his career are once again surfacing. The now 27-year-old Mainz-native has earned a regular starting place under new RB Leipzig head coach Ole Werner. The German national team presently finds itself in desperate need of an experienced right back. Baku receives another chance to make his case with his third Bundesliga club.

Could this finally be the year that Baku earns his first German national team cap since 2021? Baku – who still enjoys immense popularity with the German footballing public – is certainly off to a solid start this year. The footballer famously named after 42-times-capped German international Karl-Heinz Riedle has started all three competitive fixtures under Werner and logged maximum minutes.

Baku helped his current Bundesliga club press their desired “restart button” with an assist in the first home fixture of the season. Leipzig were able to shake off a humiliating defeat against Bayern in their Bundesliga opener and rebound via a 2-0 home victory over Heidenheim. Baku assisted on newly-acquired Brazilian striker Romulo’s second goal. The “new-look” RB was one of among several topics Baku spoke about in a recent interview.

“A lot has changed in the squad,” Baku told Kicker Magazine’s Andreas Hunziger. “There’s new energy in the team, new players who are hungry. We’ve added a lot of young players, and the balance is good. They all have incredible potential and are helping us. They’ve played well so far. We took a real beating [against Bayern], but showed our quality [against Heidenheim].”

“My twin brother Makana played under Ole Werner at Holstein Kiel from 2019 to January 2021,” Baku noted when asked about his new head coach. “He’s a very good coach. [After coming to Leipzig to work under former Mainz professional Marco Rose], it’s always a blow when there’s a coaching change, especially when one has a deep-lying personal connection to the coach.”

“It’s always special when one heads home to one’s hometown and the club at which one matured,” Baku said of this coming weekend’s Bundesliga fixture away at his native Mainz. “I have to order a few tickets [for family and friends]. Stefan Bell is still there, as is Robin Zentner and goalkeeping coach Stephan Kuhnert. There’s also kit men Walter Notter and Torsten Körner. I’ll say hello before the game.”

“If German national team coach [Julian Nagelsmann] wants to call me up, he’s more than welcome to do so,” Baku said when asked about his national team prospects. “I’m happy playing at right back and very happy here in Leipzig. It’s a beautiful and green city and I have several café’s I like to go to regularly. Hopefully, I can help the club get back to European football.“

GGFN | Peter Weis