RB Leipzig confirm former Argentina defender Martin Demichelis as new head coach
After the sudden exit of RB Leipzig Ole Werner, the club announced former defender and coach Martin Demichelis as the new head coach; Demichelis holds the record for most career and most trophies in the coaching career.
Bundesliga club RB Leipzig have officially announced former Argentina international Martin Demichelis as their new head coach. The decision follows Ole Werner's recent sacking despite a third-placed finish in his first season in charge for the club.
Although Leipzig finished the season 24 points adrift of champions Bayern Munich and Werner, the club lost in the DFB-Pokal final to a natural team led by Vincent Kompany. In this context, the club management has decided to hire a new coach for a modern, focused plan.
Demichelis also played for Bayern Munich as a player and represented clubs such as River Plate, Manchester City, Malaga, Espanyol and Atlético Madrid during his nearly 20-year career. His first stint as coach was with Bayern's reserves (2021–2022), before returning to his native Argentina to lead River Plate to the Primera Division title in 2023.
After a year in charge at Mexico club Monterrey, he returned to Europe in March to take charge at Mallorca, but was unable to save the club from uncertainty in La Liga. At the latest, rather than stay in the Spanish second division, Demichelis is set to join Europa's elite side RB Leipzig in the 2026–27 season.
In a comment to the club's website, Demichelis said: "I am very impressed after discussions with the club and their sporting secretaries. RB Leipzig is a team with ambition, a clear identity, outstanding talent and a determination to improve at the top level. I have enormous respect for the work that has been done here. I want to build on that base and bring the team to the next stages. I want a team that plays solid, intense and exciting football. I want to create, take responsibility on the pitch and inspire the Leipzig people with their emotions. I am very excited to lead RB Leipzig in the Champions League. It is a fantastic challenge and a perfect platform for a club with the goals and quality of RB Leipzig."
With the appointment of Demichelis, RB Leipzig hope to strengthen their Bundesliga standings, with one of the desired goals being to compete with Europe's top teams. It seems that the club will put more emphasis on tactics, use of young talent and international recognition in future seasons.