Matthäus on RB Coach: “Only Results Can Save” Demichelis

Ahead of Leipzig’s Champions League match against Real Madrid, record-holding national team player Lothar Matthäus sees Leipzig coach Martín Demichelis as a coach on the hot seat. “At this point, only results can save him,” the 65-year-old told *Bild*.

Following their 1-6 loss to Bayern Munich, Leipzig heads into tonight’s match against Real Madrid (9:00 p.m./DAZN) as the clear underdog. Under Demichelis, RB has failed to secure an away win in either the Bundesliga or the Champions League. “On the road, they’re just giving away points, and that’s not the standard Red Bull expects. And Red Bull is, of course, watching this very closely,” said Matthäus. “If the results don’t improve now, things will get very tight for Demichelis, whom I respect as a person and who is also dedicated.”

No Protection from Klopp

Former Bayern pro Demichelis had a tough time in Leipzig from the very beginning. First, in the summer, the popular coach Ole Werner—who had led the Saxons to third place in the league and back into the Champions League—was let go. Then former global soccer chief Jürgen Klopp pushed through his candidate, Demichelis, whom not everyone in Leipzig was on board with. They would have preferred to continue working with Werner there.

“I don’t think that was a unanimous decision. That’s why Jürgen Klopp, his biggest advocate, is no longer on board,” said Matthäus. Klopp’s successor, Roger Schmidt, met with Demichelis for the first time two weeks ago, after which the team secured victories against Frankfurt and Eindhoven. Schmidt emphasized on “Aktuelles Sportstudio” that the club is aiming for consistency in the coaching position.

Language Barrier in the Locker Room

When it comes to interacting with the team, the language barrier is a recurring issue for Demichelis. The 45-year-old speaks only Spanish and limited German. Matthäus recalled his own time as a coach abroad. “It’s certainly not an advantage when you can’t reach the players one-on-one,” said the former World Cup champion.