RB Leipzig next manager

For the first time since RB Leipzig's first season in the Bundesliga in 2016/17, Leipzig will not play continental football in the 2025/26 campaign. It also puts an end to a run of 6 consecutive Champions League campaigns. Fans will not be keen to remember the 2024/25 campaign with the managerial circus, with the sacking of Marco Rose and replacing him with the inexperienced Zsolt Low as interim manager. Die Roten Bullen failed to even qualify for the Conference League on the final day, slumping to a deplorable 7th place finish despite boasting a squad with household names like Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko. The Red Bull board, including Jurgen Klopp and Mario Gomez, will be determined to return Leipzig to UCL football next season. In order to do so, they will have to make sure they pick the right man for the job. Join us at Gafferumours as we take a look at who the right man for the job could be.

Red Bull DNA: Mathias Jaissle

Young German coach Mathias Jaissle led Saudi club Al-Ahli to glory in the Asian Champions League this season. Jaissle is familiar with the Red Bull system, having coached Red Bull Salzburg to winning 2 consecutive Austrian Leagues in his 2 seasons in charge, while being the first manager to lead the club to the Champions League knockout phase. Jaissle's impressive record in continental competitions, coupled with his knowledge of the Red Bull system, makes him a strong target for the club. However, there are doubts whether Jaissle would be willing to leave his payday in Arabia to return to Europe at this point of time.

The New Nagelsmann?: Fabian Hurzeler

The youngest head coach in the Premier League made his name for himself as a manager at St Pauli. He led a club resigned to the Bundesliga 2 for 13 seasons to automatic promotion to the Bundesliga by finishing on top of the table in his first full season at the club. This season, he guided Brighton to an 8th-place finish, unfortunately missing out on Europe by one spot, while remaining unbeaten at home against the big 6 sides. However, it seems that Hurzeler is settled in the South of England and is reluctant to leave his project in the current moment. Nonetheless, Hurzeler is a prodigy with a very bright future ahead of him, and Leipzig should make an attempt to get hold of him.

Blast from the Past: Ralph Hasenhuttl

Ralph Hasenhuttl remains one of the most underrated managers in the game. He led Ingolsadt to automatic promotion after winning Bundesliga 2 in the 2014/15 season. Following a respectable 11th place finish in the 2015/16, Hasenhuttl joined newly promoted RB Leipzig. In his and the Bulls debut season in the Bundesliga, the club finished an outstanding second place finish. His second season ended in a 6th place finish before leaving the club. His job at Southampton remains his most underapreciated job, joining a relegation threatened club midway through the 2018/19 season steering the club away from relegation. He kept the club in the top division for 4 seasons, before being sacked midway through the 2022/23 season. Hasenhuttl was drafted in his for next job at Wolfsburg in march of 2024 with the club in the relegation zone and ended the season with the club finishing 12th in the Bundesliga well safe from relegation. He was sacked rather unjustly in May this season with the club languishing in midtable. While this season was unimpressive, even his predecessor Niko Kovac struggled with meeting the expectations at Wolfsburg before the superb job he did at Dortmund this season. Hasenhuttl should not be judged harshly for this season and instead be remembered for the great jobs he has done in the past. Hasenhuttl would represent a steady pair of hands for Leipzig as well as a wave of nostalgia for the club and would undoubtedly build a formidable team.

Gafferumours suggests: Roger Schmidt

Established coached Roger Schmidt remains without a club following his sacking by Benfica earlier this season. Schmidt's time in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen boasts of a 4th and 3rd place finish in his 2 full seasons in charge of the club. In his most recent job at Benfica, Schmidt won the 2022/23 Liga Portugal in his first season, and finished second in the league in his second season in charge. Roger Schmidt also knows the Red Bull system having coached RB Salzburg from 2012 to 2014. Schmidt's underrated achievements at clubs and his knowledge of the Red Bull system makes him an attractive candidate for Leipzig.

A Blessin(g) of a manager: Alexander Blessin

Alexander Blessin is the current St. Pauli manager having kept the newly promoted team safe from relegation by finishing 14th in the Bundesliga this season. Prior to his appointment in St. Pauli he managed Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium in the 2023/24 season, winning the Belgian cup for the first time after 110 years for the club. Blessin also know RB Leipzig well, having managed the youth teams of RB Leipzig for 8 years. However there are concerns about appointing Blessin indluding a relegation stain on his CV after failing to keep Genoa in Serie A in the 2021/22 season, as well as failing to win the Jupiler Pro League with USG despite having an 8 point lead at the top of the 2023/24 regular season.

One over Wolfsburg?: Jacob Neestrup

Currently the top candidate for the Wolfsburg job, Copenhagen manager Jacob Neestrup remains linked with the RB Leipzig job. Neestrup has guided the club to 2 Danish Leagues and 2 Danish cups in 3 seasons in charge and an impressive 2023/24 Champions league campaign, where Copenhagen finished second in a group including Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Galatasaray. However his lack of experience in a top 5 league and a trophyless 2023/24 campaign remains a cause for concern.

In demand Young Saxon: Danny Rohl

Born in Saxony, Rohl's first and only managerial job has been an impressive stint at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday. Rohl was enlisted midway through the 2023/24 Championship season with Wednesday in the relegation zone. Rohl navigated the club away from the relegation zone and secured Championship survival on the final day with a 20th place finish. This season was his first full season in charge leading the club to a strong 12th place finish. However, Rohl is inexperienced and it is gamble on whether his appointment would pay off.

Consistent Veteran: Urs Fischer

Urs Fischer knows what it's like to lead a club from the German second division and consistently qualify for Europe similar to the inception of RB Leipzig. Fischer led Union Berlin to promotion to the Bundesliga from Bundesliga 2 2018/19 season in his first season at the club. He led the club to 11th, 7th, 5th, 4th placed finishes in the Bundesliga, leading the club to European Confrence League, Europa League and Champions League campaigns.