Settling for Werner? RB Leipzig's ambition seems to wane with every passing year

The former Werder Bremen head coach was Leipzig's sixth or seventh-choice to replace Marco Rose. There's a reason they could entice the rest.

A lot has happened since March 30. Paris Saint-Germain have become European champions, Bayern Munich retook the German title and Borussia Dortmund signed another Bellingham. I even became a father for the first time. But one thing that hasn’t happened is RB Leipzig signing a new head coach to replace Marco Rose. And there seems to have been a very clear reason for the 75 days of silence from the Saxony club.

First it was Sebastian Hoeneß from Stuttgart, who seemed destined to make the move to the club. Then, when that fizzled out the club then turned to Roger Schmidt, only for the former Bayer Leverkusen tactician to also turn them down. Drats. Speculation then turned towards Cesc Fabregas at Como and Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace, despite little to suggest why either would turn down exciting projects in the ascendency to pick up the pieces left behind by Marco Rose. When the rubber hit the road, both rumours went up in smoke.

Other head coaches have been tossed into the rumour mill since then. But whether it was Danny Röhl, Bo Henriksen, Raul or Jacob Neestrup, there was little doubt that the club’s ambition didn’t quite match their appeal. And to go from potentially poaching Stuttgart’s taktisches Wunderkind to tussling with Wolfsburg for the Copenhagen head coach, certainly suggests that Leipzig are in more trouble than they may be willing to admit to at this moment in time.