2nd most valuable Belgian 

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When Liverpool face RB Leipzig on Wednesday, they will have to try to contain a player who could spearhead the next golden generation of Belgian footballers: Loïs Openda. Compared to no other than Didier Drogba, Openda is headed into his second season with Leipzig and has already scored five goals and two assists in ten games across all competitions. Since joining Leipzig, Openda has scored 33 goals and nine assists in 55 games across all competitions. 

With those numbers in mind, Openda, who with a market value of €60m is the second most valuable Belgian player in the world is now considered among the players that could lead Belgium’s latest golden generation. “To be honest, I played with the golden generation, and it was totally crazy how many good players we had,” Openda said to Transfermarkt when asked about the current crop of Belgian players. “I think their time is finished, and we have a new generation who can also become a golden generation if we work hard like them, but we have to create our own game. Now we have a new team with young players and some new energy that we also need to win some games.”

At 24, Openda is part of a young up-and-coming attacking group that also includes the likes of Malick Fofana (19, Olympique Lyon), Cyril Ngonge (24, Napoli), Johan Bakayoko (21, PSV), and Jérémy Doku (22, Man City). With those players in mind, how long until Beglium become a force in global football again? “Maybe it takes time before we become better because now, for sure, we have new players; we have to find a good team,” Openda said. “Sometimes it’s difficult, but with the players that we have, the old players that we still have, Rom [Lukaku], Kevin [de Bruyne], [Leandro] Trossard, we learn from them, and they also teach us how to be when we play for our national team.” 

Loïs Openda: “Every team wants to win a big trophy” – “I want to win trophies”

Other than a gold medal at the 1920 Olympics, Belgium have never won a trophy at an international tournament. Could that run end soon? “It would be good because every team wants to win a big trophy,” Openda said. “I won trophies with Leipzig and with Club Brugge, and I think each player coming to the national team also wants to win one trophy and it would be the first for Belgium. If you’re the first to win a trophy with your national team, everybody will remember you, and that’s what we want.” 

What about Openda himself? With three goals in 26 games for Belgium, he also doesn’t feel like the finished product yet. “Of course, my development has been really good,” Openda said. “That’s why I’m here [at Leipzig]. I wanted to be here because I knew that if you want to also take a step higher, to be a better player, and try to be one of the best, you must make this step to Leipzig. How can I become a better player or try to be a top player?” At this point, Openda paused before answering the question himself. “My objective is to first, for sure, score a lot of goals, but first to play with the team and try to achieve what we want to do and what we want to have.” 

While Openda has scored at a fantastic rate in the Bundesliga, his goals have been lacking a bit in the Champions League and for Belgium. Openda has scored just three times in 26 games for his country and four goals in 19 Champions League games for Leipzig. This season, Openda still needs a goal in the Champions League. Scoring against top opponents like Liverpool regularly is, without a doubt, the next step for Openda to progress and become a true superstar.