RB Leipzig have announced that they have sacked head coach Marco Rose following the side’s 1-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday afternoon.
Rose’s job has been in question for a while, and the game against his former side was the tipping point. His assistants Alexander Zickler, Marco Kurth, Frank Geideck, and Frank Aehlig also follow him out the door.
The Leipzig native took over Leipzig in September 2022 and led the club to their second successive DFB-Pokal trophy. However, after that, he was never able to lead Leipzig to the heights that they desired.
Rose leaves Leipzig with the club in sixth place, three points off of the Champions League place, and with a DFB Pokal semi-final against VfB Stuttgart in midweek.
What’s next for Leipzig?
Granted, the current sporting situation is not entirely Rose’s fault. Leipzig has had to deal with important injuries for most of this season, and they are not well-staffed in certain positions. On top of this, players have not been playing at the necessary level; the likes of Benjamin Seško (who is pushing for a move) have been underwhelming this season.
The decision to sack Rose so soon before what is their most important game of the season is a questionable one, but it also suggests that Leipzig may already have a replacement lined up.
Looking long-term, who the replacement might be is unknown. Sebastian Hoeneß, who has recently been linked with the job, will not leave Stuttgart, having signed a new contract. As Leipzig also likes to hire managers with a Red Bull link, the immediate option would be Roger Schmidt, while options in the summer could be Oliver Glasner or even Matthias Jaissle, who has been managing in Saudi Arabia.
What is clear is that Leipzig needs to bring someone in who can turn the team around quickly and avoid a massive exodus of players in the summer, which would mean Leipzig would need to start again.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
