LEIPZIG, Germany — The camaraderie with Jürgen Klopp wasn’t enough to shield him; on Sunday, Leipzig decided to part ways with coach Marco Rose. The decision comes as the team faces the risk of not securing a spot in the Champions League.
The move was part of a comprehensive overhaul by the Red Bull-owned club, which also relieved coaches Alexander Zickler, Marco Kurth, and Frank Geideck, as well as Frank Aehlig, the head of first-team soccer duties, from their responsibilities. The club hopes these changes will catalyze a positive response from the team, especially with the German Cup semifinal against Stuttgart looming on Wednesday.
Rose’s tenure culminated with a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday. This marked the team’s sixth straight unsuccessful away outing and the third match without a goal. As a result, Gladbach surpassed Leipzig to claim fifth place in the Bundesliga standings, and should Freiburg avoid losing to Union Berlin, Leipzig could find themselves down to seventh.
The club has set its sights on reaching the top four to qualify for the Champions League, but with disappointing performances in this season’s tournament, where they won only once out of eight games, the objective seemed increasingly out of reach.
Marcel Schäfer, Leipzig’s sporting director, stated, “Considering the ongoing trend and persistent lack of results, everyone is convinced that fresh momentum is necessary for the remaining campaign to accomplish our seasonal goals.”
Marco Rose, who became Leipzig’s coach in September 2022 and is a known associate of Klopp, successfully guided the team to Champions League qualification twice and celebrated a German Cup victory in 2023. The club has hinted that the announcement of his successor will follow soon.