Jurgen Klopp sacks RB Leipzig manager and set to name shock ex-Premier League man as replacement

Jürgen Klopp has sacked RB Leipzig head coach Ole Werner after just one season in charge, with the Red Bull Global Head of Soccer turning to a former Premier League star to replace him.

Klopp took up the role in January 2025 and is responsible for overseeing the football operations of several clubs, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Bragantino, RB Omiya Ardija and FC Liefering.

Leipzig, who compete in Germany's top flight, the Bundesliga, finished third last season, although they ended the campaign 34 points behind champions Bayern Munich.

Despite leading the club to Champions League qualification last term, Leipzig's hierarchy decided to relieve Werner of his duties.

"We have spent the past few days carrying out a thorough final review of the recent season," Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer said in a statement.

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

"They played a major role in our successful rebuild and in qualifying for the Champions League. Nevertheless, we believe the challenges ahead require new ideas and a different approach."

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Leipzig's next head coach will be the club's eighth since arriving in the Bundesliga in 2016.

Klopp later addressed the decision while working as a World Cup pundit for German TV channel Magenta TV.

Explaining the role he played in the decision, Klopp said: "We are acting in an advisory capacity as the Global Team.

"But we were involved in the decision-making process and analysed the season. Ole (Werner) did a fantastic job. We qualified for the Champions League.

"But we also have to look forward at the same time. And when we thought about what that might look like, they decided on a change."

It has been widely reported that RCD Mallorca head coach and former Bayern Munich, Málaga, Manchester City and Argentina defender Martín Demichelis is expected to take up the vacancy.

Demichelis coached River Plate to the league title in 2023 before joining Mexico's Monterrey the following year.

The 45-year-old then became Mallorca manager in 2026 but could only guide the side to 18th place in La Liga, meaning the Balearic Islanders were relegated.

When pressed on the Argentine’s appointment, Klopp said: "I'm not involved in speculation now. Everything that can be said will come from Leipzig.”

What has Jurgen Klopp said about his role at Red Bull?

Despite acting as an adviser on the Red Bull Group’s football-related decisions, the former Liverpool boss explained that the day-to-day operations at Leipzig – and its sister clubs – remain the responsibility of the respective clubs’ management and coaching teams.

“My job as a coach has always had some of the strategic side to it,” he told Bundesliga.com in 2025.

“At Mainz, I worked with people on improving the club and by the time I left for Dortmund, it was a completely different club.

"We tried to improve everything with the resources that we had. We also had to change Dortmund when I arrived, and by the time I left it was a different animal. I was always interested in looking at the infrastructure and culture - that can always be improved at a club, and sometimes you need an outside view for that."