By Gerald Fritsche, dpa
LEIPZIG (DPA, CONVERSEER) – Ole Werner has been appointed RB Leipzig coach on a two-year contract until 2027, ending the Bundesliga club’s difficult search for a new boss after a poor season by their standard.
The deal was announced on Tuesday after Leipzig reached an agreement with the 37-year-old’s previous club Werder Bremen, where he spent four years but was on gardening leave.
“Ole is a young, up-and-coming and highly ambitious head coach who will take the next step in his development with us,” Leipzig’s managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer said.
“Ole has a clear footballing philosophy. He likes to play structured possession-based football, encourages quick transitions after winning the ball, while he also wants his teams to be strong pressers, tactically flexible and to play in a bold, committed and combative manner.”
Leipzig finished seventh in the past Bundesliga season, missing a place in Europe for the first time since being promoted to the top flight in 2016.
Marco Rose was axed as coach in March and Zsolt Löw acted as caretaker for the remaining matches. Former Liverpool maestro Jürgen Klopp is now head of global soccer at Red Bull and would have been involved in Werner’s appointment.
Werner’s appointment came after other candidates such as Cesc Fabregas (Como), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Roger Schmidt (formerly Benfica) and Sandro Wagner (now Augsburg) were not available.
Werner said after the season that he would not renew his contract in Bremen beyond 2026, which prompted the club to part ways with him immediately. They appointed second-tier Elversberg coach Horst Steffen having finished eighth last term under Werner.
“I am really pleased to now be head coach of RB Leipzig. During our very detailed discussions, it was immediately clear that both sides share the same ideas about how we want to play and work,” said Werner, who coached Holstein Kiel before Bremen.
“RB Leipzig stands for a bold, attacking style of play with a clear identity as well as professional and ambitious thinking.
“The club have big goals and high expectations and this is exactly the kind of environment that convinced me and one to which I want to contribute.”
Werner joins Leipzig just as there is uncertainty over the futures two of their leading lights. Arsenal have been heavily linked in the media with Slovenia striker Benjamin Šeško, while playmaker Xavi Simons also wants to move, reports say.
Leipzig are also yet to announce what they will do with the coach’s namesake Timo Werner, who has returned to his parent club after a poor loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
Coach Werner will be presented at an official press conference in the “near future.”
Assistants Patrick Kohlmann and Tom Cichon will be part of his coaching team.
All Bundesliga sides needing new coaches have now announced their plans for next season. Bayer Leverkusen appointed Erik ten Hag, Wolfsburg brought in fellow Dutchman Paul Simonis and promoted Cologne named former Paderborn boss Lukas Kwasniok.