Coaching shakeup at RB Leipzig: What role does Klopp play?

As the season drew to a close, the 1–4 losses in Leverkusen and Freiburg were setbacks that didn’t fit the picture of what the club expected. This was a bitter pill to swallow and distorted the positive overall picture of the season in the upper echelons of management. Once again, there were discussions about Werner.

Who calls the shots at Red Bull’s flagship club?

Sports Director Marcel Schäfer officially has the final say and signing authority at Leipzig’s Cottaweg. The global soccer team led by Klopp and his experts—Mario Gomez, Jürgen Kramny, Peter Krawietz, and Zsolt Löw—serves only in an advisory capacity. Given their rather sporadic presence in Leipzig, friction is inevitable.

According to dpa information, the impetus for a coaching change—which had already been sought in the spring—came from this team. Mintzlaff, who occasionally overhears the experts whispering in the VIP box, is also among those pushing for change. Schäfer, who oversees squad planning on-site, was able to save Werner from being fired on two occasions.

However, the executives at the RB Group apparently want to think big again now that the team has qualified for the Champions League—whatever the cost. The higher-ups at Red Bull likely don’t believe Werner—who never acts as a spokesperson—is up to the triple challenge. In their view, there has been too little progress during the many training sessions without European Cup trips.

Röhl as a long-term solution?

So now Demichelis? The 45-year-old did win the title with River Plate in 2023. However, his stint at Mallorca was not a success—not even a 2-1 win over Real Madrid could change that. Klopp is said to be a supporter of the idea, though. According to “Bild,” the two are said to know each other from meetings at the Mallorca Country Club on the vacation island, among other places. Klopp’s son is said to have inquired about Demichelis’ future plans a few weeks ago.

For Klopp, the proposed signing of Demichelis in Leipzig carries a certain risk. If the move flops, the global soccer boss’s reputation will also take a hit. But Red Bull’s soccer team has already taken precautions. Danny Röhl, a native of Zwickau, was brought back from the Glasgow Rangers to the RB universe in Salzburg.

The former assistant coach to Hansi Flick at FC Bayern and the German national team had already worked in Leipzig from 2011 to 2018 and was also considered a potential candidate last summer.

Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved