RB Leipzig 2016-17 Nike Home Poulsen Vintage Collector Jersey

RB Leipzig 2016-17 Nike — The jersey from the Bulls' first major European season

The 2016-17 season was when RB Leipzig literally took German football by surprise, finishing second in the Bundesliga in their first season in the top flight. This Nike home jersey with POULSEN's name on it in Small Boys size is a piece of that improbable history — that of a club barely six years old that made Germany's giants tremble.

Jersey Details

Season: 2016-2017
Club: RB Leipzig
Type: Home
Kit Manufacturer: Nike
Sponsor: RED BULL
Printing: POULSEN
Size: Small Boys
Condition: 8/10
State: LITTLE PULLS, LITTLE SPOT — authentic wear of a worn vintage jersey

What this jersey represents

The 2016-17 season for RB Leipzig is an anomaly in modern football — in a good way. Founded in 2009 by Red Bull, the club rapidly ascended through the German league system, reaching the Bundesliga for the first time in 2016. What they achieved there exceeded all expectations: finishing second in the league behind Bayern Munich, they qualified directly for the Champions League. All at lightning speed.

Ralph Hasenhüttl was at the helm that season, building a vertical, intense, high-pressing game — that famous Gegenpressing which became the club's trademark. The squad included players who would define that era: Yussuf Poulsen, a Copenhagen native trained in Germany, has been a darling of the Red Bull Arena since the project's early days. His name on this jersey is no coincidence — he's one of the faces of this incredible adventure. Naby Keïta also wreaked havoc on all the league's defenses that season. Emil Forsberg delighted on the left wing. The team was young, hungry, and it showed.

Moments etched in this jersey

The historic second place in the 2016-17 Bundesliga
In their first season in Germany's top football flight, Leipzig finished as runners-up behind Bayern Munich. No one saw it coming — and this result remains one of the greatest achievements in German football of the last decade.

Direct qualification for the Champions League
Thanks to this second-place finish, RB Leipzig qualified for the 2017-18 Champions League in their very first Bundesliga season. A club less than ten years old reaching the group stage of the premier competition — it's almost unprecedented. This 2016-17 jersey is the starting point of that European epic.

Yussuf Poulsen, talisman from the early days
Poulsen is one of the few players who went through all divisions with the club, from the lower echelons of German football to the Bundesliga and Europe. His name on this 2016-17 season jersey is that of a man who experienced the ascent from within — not a recruit who came for glory, but a pillar of the Red Bull project from the beginning.

Authentic vs. Replica

A vintage authentic jersey is a piece that existed in the reality of football — not a reproduction manufactured for the mass market. The cuts are different, as are the finishes. The quality of the materials, the way the printing is applied, the inner labels: all of this tells a story that a replica simply cannot imitate. An authentic has a soul, period.

This one is in 8/10 condition with some small pulls and a slight stain — these are the normal marks of a worn, lived-in jersey. This is precisely what makes it an authentic collector's item and not a sterile display piece. The slight wear is proof that this jersey has a real story behind it.

Vintage sizing guide

Vintage Nike sizes from this era, especially in the Boys range, are significantly smaller than current standards. A 2016 Small Boys is cut for a child or an adult with a slim build — not a modern adult Small. Don't rely solely on the label: vintage sizes have little to do with contemporary sizes.

Before buying, measure your shoulder width and chest circumference, then compare with the flat measurements of the jersey if available. This is the only truly reliable method to avoid unpleasant surprises with a vintage Boys size jersey. Once the right size is found, it's a piece that can be worn, not just displayed.

Why have it in your collection

The RB Leipzig 2016-17 jersey in its authentic version is already rare in itself. But an example with POULSEN's name — one of the club's historical figures — in Boys size, is even harder to find. Collectors interested in the recent history of German football and clubs of the Red Bull generation know that these pieces sell quickly and don't easily return to the market. This specific season, 2016-17, represents a turning point: it's the birth certificate of Leipzig as a force in European football.

In 8/10 condition, with minimal wear and an original print still present, this jersey is in a state you won't often find for a piece from this era. There aren't many in this condition with this precise printing still lingering in collections — and even fewer available for sale. If you're building a collection focused on modern German football or the Red Bull universe in sports, this piece clearly belongs.

To go further

• RB Leipzig - Wikipedia
• Football Kit Archive - Kit history
• UEFA - European Football

A piece of the craziest season in RB Leipzig's history, with the name of one of its unsung heroes on it — if that speaks to you, you know what to do.