BSS
  17 Jun 2026, 23:38

RB Leipzig axe Werner despite Champions League qualification

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MUNICH, Germany, June 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Bundesliga club RB Leipzig have sacked coach Ole Werner after just one season in charge, despite leading them to a third-placed finish and Champions League football next season.

"We have spent the past few days carrying out a thorough final review of the recent season," the club's sporting director Marcel Schafer said in a statement on Wednesday.

"On Tuesday evening, we decided that a change of head coach was needed."

He added: "We believe the challenges ahead require new ideas and a different approach."

The identity of Werner's successor has not been disclosed, although German media are pointing to Argentine Martin Demichelis, who took over on the Mallorca bench in March but was unable to prevent the club's relegation to Spain's second division.

Werner was the third coach in the space of 14 months at RB Leipzig, who missed European competition last season for the first time since their promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016.

Towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign, the club dismissed Marco Rose with Zsolt Loew serving as interim coach before Werner was appointed.