December 05, (THEWILL) – After a dismal start to the season, RB Leipzig and head coach Jesse Marsch have “mutually agreed” to part ways.
The 48-year-old had only been in charge for five months, having taken over from Julian Nagelsmann, who moved to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich with the departure of Hansi Flick.
However, Leipzig’s strong standards have slipped during Marsch’s tenure, and they are currently 11th in the Bundesliga after their sixth loss of the season against Taiwo Awoniyi’s Union Berlin on Friday.
Die Roten Bullen have also struggled in the Champions League, and need a win against Manchester City in their final group game to avoid being completely dumped out of Europe for the season.
Leipzig has been scoring a lot of goals under Marsch, but it is their defensive inefficiency that has led to his demise, according to a statement from Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff.
Mintzlaff said: “It was not easy for us to part company with Jesse Marsch, because I hold Jesse in high regard as a person and as a coach. It is a shame that things did not work out as we had hoped with this setup, and that this step has now become necessary.
“Unfortunately, the development we were hoping for and the results needed to achieve our goals for the season have not been achieved. We are currently running short of our own expectations and with this decision we want to create a new impulse.
“Regardless of this, however, I also see our players as having a duty and I expect our team, which is very strong in sporting terms, to show its potential and quality on the pitch more consistently than it has done recently.
“I would like to thank Jesse Marsch for the work he has done and wish him all the best, both personally and professionally.”
Marsch himself took the action gracefully. He said: “I am very grateful to be part of the Red Bull family and to have been given this opportunity! Up until the very end, I remained hopeful that after a troubled start to the season and inconsistent performances, we would find more cohesion and stability as a group and turn our fortunes around.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to do that – after a discussion with Oliver Mintzlaff, we came to the joint decision to make a change in the coaching position.
“I keep only positive thoughts in my mind and wish for the club, the team, the staff and all the fans that RB Leipzig finds its way back to its old strengths very quickly and, given the quality in the team and in the club, I am sure that the club will achieve its goals.”
Marsch has been a member of the Red Bull coaching staff for six years, having started his career as a coach with the Montreal Impact in 2011. Between 2015 and 2018, he coached the New York Red Bulls for three years before joining Leipzig as Ralf Rangnick’s assistant manager.
Marsch was given the reins at Salzburg a year later, and he was key in bringing Erling Haaland to global attention.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
