RB Leipzig's sporting director Schäfer criticizes handling of coach Werner as "undignified"

RB Leipzig had announced the separation from Werner on 17 June, even though the club had finished the season in third place with 65 points, thereby qualifying for the Champions League. In the DFB-Pokal, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. The dpa reporting forms the basis of the article.

Reaction to media reports

Werner had gone on vacation after the end of the season when news of the coaching change leaked. As early as 12 June, the Spanish newspaper Marca had reported that RB Leipzig had made an offer to Martín Demichelis – five days before the official announcement of the separation.

Schäfer rejected speculation that a preliminary contract had already been in place with Demichelis. "That's complete nonsense," he said. Intensive negotiations had only taken place after the final conversation with Werner: "But we only negotiated intensively with the Demichelis side in Leipzig in the days after the final conversation with Ole."

The 38-year-old Werner is, for the time being, without a club. His designated successor, Martín Demichelis, is currently still head coach of RCD Mallorca; his contract there runs until 30 June 2026. RB Leipzig confirmed the signing on 22 June.

Outlook on the new season

Schäfer has held the position of sporting managing director at RB Leipzig since 1 August 2024; his contract runs until 30 June 2028. He acknowledged that there had not always been agreement with Jürgen Klopp, head of global soccer topics at Red Bull. "We are regularly in exchange. And yes, we argue – and sometimes for a long time and controversially. But in the end we take on the responsibility in Leipzig."

In recent months, speculation had swirled about a possible contract extension for Werner. According to media reports, the relationship between Werner and Klopp had recently been tense. Schäfer described the decision-making as an ongoing process: "Such an analysis is not just a single conversation, it is a continuous process – over an entire season, but also afterward."

At the same time, he advocated for the way the club and the coach dealt with each other. "Basically, the conversations were always very open, they were honest, as was our collaboration," he said. Schäfer conceded in conclusion: "We didn't manage to do all of that this time."