Champions League: Leverkusen's Rolfes finds peace again after turbulent summer

Berlin (Germanu), Oct 20 (IANS) After weeks of restless nights, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Simon Rolfes is finally sleeping easily again. Ahead of Tuesday evening's UEFA Champions League encounter against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Rolfes spoke about the immense challenge of rebuilding the club this summer, a task that robbed him of sleep for weeks.

"The dubious pleasure of getting to know every inch of the ceiling above my bed," is how the former German international described the period. He said things have now returned to normal, but the 2024 German champion's wild weeks have left their mark.

Losing coaching hero Xabi Alonso this summer, having to sack his successor Erik ten Hag after only two months, and then appointing former Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand was far from easy, Rolfes admitted, reports Xinhua.

But the turbulence seems to be in the past, despite the newly structured, young team still in the process of gelling. With three consecutive league wins, Rolfes says the side is back on a path of hope.

He called finding the right coach after a golden era - which included a national championship and cup victory, the biggest challenge. He views the match against PSG as anything but an even duel. "We play a top side, assumedly Europe's currently best team," Rolfes said. The former midfielder called the upcoming task a helpful challenge, adding, "I am sure we can benefit from a game like that."

While expectations remain low against the 2025 Champions League winner, the Leverkusen official is focused on small steps of development for his side.

After signing 15 new players, coach Hjulmand said his squad is on a promising path to becoming a cohesive unit. The 53-year-old Dane even spoke about wanting to compete for the national title as soon as possible.

Rolfes called the duel against Paris a learning lesson and a stress test for the team's resilience. "You can prove how much frustration tolerance you can take," Rolfes said, adding, "We are back in a fighting mood and are aware we have to deliver hard work to achieve success."

Equipped with many youngsters, the official said the club has laid the foundation for promising years and that the mood has changed to optimistic after the latest turmoil.

Despite significant transfer revenues, including midfielder Florian Wirtz's move to Liverpool, Rolfes noted, "You can't just buy a new team; you cautiously have to create one."

At the same time, rebuilding the squad has opened doors for players like Alejandro Grimaldo. While the Spaniard previously operated in the shadow of Wirtz and Granit Xhaka, the 30-year-old full-back is now turning into Leverkusen's inspiring source.

While PSG remains the favourite, Grimaldo's record of four goals and one assist in seven games is surely helping Simon Rolfes sleep significantly better.

--IANS

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