RB Leipzig sack coach Werner

June 17 : RB Leipzig have sacked head coach Ole Werner despite the club finishing third in the Bundesliga and qualifying for next season’s Champions League, the German side said on Wednesday.

Werner, 38, joined Leipzig from Werder Bremen last June and oversaw a squad rebuild following the departure of several key players. He took charge of 38 competitive matches during his tenure.

“We have spent the past few days carrying out a thorough final review of the recent season,” Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schaefer 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.”

Werner was Leipzig’s seventh permanent head coach since the club’s promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016. The club said it would announce details regarding his successor and the new coaching staff in due course.