In the same quiet city where composer Johann Sebastian Bach performed many of his miraculous compositions, its greatest export these days is RB Leipzig. Led by head coach Marco Rose, the club is hitting all the right notes as it sits at the top of the Bundesliga table alongside Bayern Munich. A key reason for that strong start is striker Lois Openda.

The Belgian international has scored four goals in just seven Bundesliga matches this season. His speed and precision in front of the goal have been a joy since he joined the team in July 2023.

Based on Openda’s eye for goal, it’s not hugely surprising who his hero was whom he idolized from a young age.

“When I was young, it was Didier Drogba,” Openda told World Soccer Talk. “I was [watching] him every time when he was playing in the Champions League, and I saw every goal from him.

“He was scoring with his side foot, free-kicks, right foot, left foot, head, and everything.”

Drogba’s versatility as a striker is an ideal role model for Openda. With RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League and doing so well in the German league, he’s at the ideal club to grow as a player. The coach can be a vital part of that trajectory.

Lois Openda and Marco Rose

Openda raves about the way that RB Leipzig head coach Rose has had an impact on his career at the club. It’s not only professional, but it’s also personal.

“This relationship that I have with the coach is special,” said Openda. “We talk more. He is like a father and a son [relationship]. He always tries to help me [with] what I can do better. And if I do something wrong, he will also tell me that it’s not good and I have to change. He pushes me every day to try to be the best on the pitch.”

That hard work is paying off for both the club and Openda in different ways.

Difference between Bundesliga and other European leagues

“The intensity is really different. I can tell you that the first day when I was here, one year ago, after the first training, I went to my bed and slept for four hours.” Openda explained. “[Before I joined RB Leipzig], my agent told me, ‘If you want to go to Germany, you have to run and work hard’ because it’s not like the Belgian, French or Netherlands leagues.

“When we go 100 percent on the training, we try to produce it on the pitch. And that’s why we perform [at] a higher level.”

It matters not just on the pitch. Openda enthuses about the multicultural team the club has built.

“I’m really happy about what [is happening] here, on the pitch and also at home,” Openda said. “The facilities, and the people here, I think you see how nice the people are. Here, we have some coaches who also try to speak French for us. English, and German; it’s a mix of everything. That makes you feel like a family here.”

Photo: Imago