RB Leipzig left back Max Finkgräfe has dedicated his first goal in the colors of his new club to his late grandfather. Finkgräfe – who joined the German Red Bulls from 1. FC Köln this past offseason – scored the 1-0 in Friday evening’s Bundesliga victory over Union Berlin. The 22-year-old supplied a superb technical finish, hammering home his first Bundesliga goal in 14 months with a deft first-time strike off a tricky bounce.
Max Finkgräfe reflects on his second Bundesliga goal
Finkgräfe scored his first Bundesliga goal whilst representing Köln during the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. Back in February 2024, with the cathedral city club battling relegation, a tally from the former Geißböcke professional ultimately helped Köln secure a vital point against Hoffenheim. Even though Köln were ultimately relegated, Finkgräfe went into the second division as a €6m-valued prospect seemingly destined for a bright future.
Unfortunately, Finkgräfe only featured 14 times in the 2. Bundesliga for Köln during the 2024/25 campaign. Leipzig scooped him up this past summer for €4m, but the Gladbach native has been unable to earn much playing time due to the strong form of RB captain and German national team starting left back David Raum. Prior to Friday night’s match, Finkgräfe only made ten appearances (one start) for his new club.
Finkgräfe understandably reacted with great emotion after finally breaking his RB duck. Leipzig alternate captain Willi Orban, who served alongside Finkgräfe in the defensive line for just the second time this season, offered up sincere congratulations for his teammate’s memorable finish.
“In all honesty, I’ve been dreaming about this moment,” Finkgräfe remarked in the mixed zone. “I dedicate this goal to my deceased grandfather. I hope he enjoyed it. He introduced me to football and always told me to ‘just shoot’ as it’s the only way to score goals. I’m happy to be fulfilling my developmental objectives here [in Leipzig].“
“I had no idea he had a finish like that,” Orban added. “I didn’t think he was capable of that at all. That was an incredibly important goal.”
GGFN | Peter Weis
