By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

“No pressure” – RB Leipzig boss Marcel Schäfer addresses Ole Werner’s uncertain future

With Ole Werner’s contract running until 2027, club boss Marcel Schäfer has commented on the head coach’s situation and future.

Marcel Schäfer.	Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

There has been speculation about Ole Werner’s future as RB Leipzig head coach, with a recent Sky report suggesting that members of the club’s hierarchy are divided over whether to stick with the 38-year-old.

In an interview with Sport Bild, managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer was asked about the possibility of extending Werner's contract, which runs until 2027.

“Good performances are rewarded here. However, for the first time since the end of the season, we have now sat down for longer discussions in South Africa (during the club’s end-of-season trip, ed. note). The process of analysing the season and looking ahead to the future will certainly take some time. We are also under no pressure, because Ole is still under contract until 2027.”

Schäfer was then asked what speaks in favour of keeping Werner on as head coach after his first season in charge.

“Ole has managed to bring in many of the things that were missing for us in the previous season. First and foremost, there is consistency in the tactical system: with only a few minutes’ exception, we played in the same structure throughout the entire season. In addition, we made few changes to the starting eleven. Even though that certainly didn’t please the players on the bench, it is always a sign of quality to me. Successful teams distribute most of the minutes among their core group of players,” Schäfer said.

"We also made very quick progress tactically, even if we did not always play well. Even during the dip around the winter break, things never became unsettled, and we never deviated from our plan.

“Above all, Ole managed to turn our players into a real team. That is, for me, the biggest difference compared to the previous year, and I also told the squad that again after the final match in Freiburg. With his calmness and matter-of-fact approach, he did us a lot of good during the phase we were in," explained the RB Leipzig chief.