bundesliga

Chrislain Matsima, Michael Olise and Konstantinos Koulierakis nominated for January Rookie of the month - Vote now!

03.02.2025

The Bundesliga honours the best young talents in the league with the Rookie of the Month Award, in association with Sorare. Augsburg's Chrislain Matsima, Michael Olise of Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg's Konstantinos Koulierakis are up for nomination from January 2025 – vote for your favourite now!

Get the lowdown on the Bundesliga Rookie award, presented by Sorare!

Specific criteria must be met in order for a player to qualify as a Rookie. He must be younger than 23 on Matchday 1 of the new season and cannot have started a Bundesliga match in any previous campaign. Furthermore, players can have accumulated no more than 450 minutes of action before the start of the Bundesliga season in question. That means that youngsters who have only made brief appearances in their careers so far and who have not yet had the chance to fully showcase their talents still have the opportunity to be named Rookie of the Month, presented by Sorare.

The monthly winners receive one of the coveted Bundesliga Rookie trophies, before vying for the Rookie of the Season prize. As well as the fans (40%), Bundesliga clubs (30%) and a panel of Bundesliga experts (30%) are part of the voting process.

January nominees

Chrislain Matsima (Augsburg)

Augsburg hit the ground running in 2025, winning three of their first four Bundesliga games. Those successes have allowed them to put 11 points between themselves and the relegation zone, and that upturn in form has coincided with Matsima’s increase in importance. The 22-year-old Frenchman, who was part of the Olympic side that won a silver medal in Paris last summer, has started each match this calendar year, winning an astounding 70 per cent of his duels in January – the fourth-highest tally in the Bundesliga! He was even more dominant in the air, towering above his opponents at 6’3” to win 83 per cent of his aerial duels.

Vote for Matsima here!

His contribution was even more tangible against Heidenheim on Matchday 19, as his goal gave Augsburg the lead in a 2-1 victory. “He has become one of our key performers in recent months and has everything it takes to become a top defender,” Augsburg head coach Jess Thorup said following that triumph. Alongside his strong physical attributes, Matsima also completed a solid 83 per cent of his attempted passes in January, showing there is more to his game. Currently on loan from AS Monaco, Augsburg will be delighted to have a purchase option for a player Thorup added, “has huge potential.”

Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)

At this point, Olise is already an established member of Bayern Munich’s starting XI – it is easy to forget that this is still his first campaign in the Bundesliga. The winger has already been nominated for this award on three occasions since his summer switch from Crystal Palace and, while he left empty-handed in September and December, he stood on top of the podium in October. He has performed strongly throughout the campaign, but his displays in January were particularly impressive. It was he who earned Kane’s converted penalty in the slender 1-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 16, while he picked up a goal – his first in the league at the Allianz Arena - and an assist in the win over Wolfsburg.

Vote for Olise here!

Despite being known for his dribbling ability, Olise won an impressive 57 per cent of his duels and also completed an average of 30 sprints per game to help keep Bayern’s tempo high. On top of that, he completed 87 per cent of his passes, which is perhaps higher than expected given his adventurous style of play. Olise’s standing has led to comparisons with former Bayern greats such as Arjen Robben, and there are certainly similarities between the two. Of course, such expectations can often have a negative impact on a player’s development, but Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany has no doubts that Olise can deal with it. “I don’t think he is someone who feels the pressure too much. He just loves football,” the Belgian said. That passion for the game is something that spectators can see for themselves when he sets off down the right wing.

Konstantinos Koulierakis (Wolfsburg)

Koulierakis‘ nickname gives an insight into the kind of player he is. “My teammates have always called me ‘The Hammer’, because I am a very strong defender with plenty of power,” the central defender previously explained, even if he prefers “Kouli”. Either way, he has put that strength to good use for the Wolves, for whom he started each Bundesliga game in January and won an impressive 60 per cent of his duels.

Vote for Koulierakis here!

That number rose to a huge 73 per cent in Wolfsburg’s narrow 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich, with the 21-year-old helping to keep Harry Kane off the scoresheet. Not only strong in the tackle, the Greek also completed 89 per cent of his attempted passes, showing his composure in possession. His 6’1” frame and high jump make him a real weapon from set-pieces, which Wolfsburg will no doubt aim to profit from between now and the end of the season. Despite his young age, he has started each of the last 15 Bundesliga matches for Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men and has become a crucial member of the team as a result – not bad for a player who only joined from PAOK last summer. He is still waiting for his first Wolfsburg goal, but if his last strike is anything to go by – a 35-yard stunner for his former club last August – it may well be worth the wait.

Previous winners

December 2024

Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt)