Leipzig player misses Bundesliga game after being late for bus

By: The Associated Press Posted: 7:06 AM CST Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025

BERLIN (AP) — Leipzig defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu missed his team’s Bundesliga match at Augsburg because he was late for the bus.

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BERLIN (AP) — Leipzig defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu missed his team’s Bundesliga match at Augsburg because he was late for the bus.

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This article was published 15/02/2025 (597 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BERLIN (AP) — Leipzig defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu missed his team’s Bundesliga match at Augsburg because he was late for the bus.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose told broadcaster DAZN before Friday’s 0-0 draw that Bitshiabu was supposed to be in the squad, but the 19-year-old French defender failed to show up in time for the team’s bus to the airport that morning.

“Chad missed the departure this morning and therefore also the flight,” Rose said. “So you can’t be there at the end of the day either.”

FILE - Leipzig's head coach Marco Rose waits for the start of the Champions League soccer match between RB Leipzig and Sporting CP at the RB Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

Bitshiabu could have arguably have made the game traveling by bus. Leipzig is roughly four hours from Augsburg by road, and the match had a late kickoff.

Bitshiabu, who has made 11 league appearances this season for Leipzig, had good chances of playing in Augsburg with captain Willi Orban suspended for his red card against St. Pauli the week before, and Benjamin Henrichs, Xaver Schlager, Assan Ouedraogo and Antonio Nusa all out with injuries.

Rose only had six outfield players available as substitutes, with one seat on the substitutes’ bench left free because of his shortage of players.

Serbian right back Kosta Nedeljković went on to make his Leipzig debut late on.

The draw in Augsburg meant Stuttgart could overtake Leipzig on Saturday with a win at home over Wolfsburg to move fourth, the last place for Champions League qualification.