Marcel Schäfer outlines expectations as Demichelis begins tenure as RB Leipzig coach

After being appointed as RB Leipzig’s successor to Ole Werner as head coach a week ago, Martin Demichelis officially began his work at his new club on Monday.

In an interview with Bild, RB Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer spoke in detail about the appointment and outlined what he expects the former Argentina international to bring to the team.

“We want to win matches. That comes through a tactical component, a physical component. And there is also this enthusiasm, this fire, this passion. Martin combines all of that. He has experienced a lot in his career, has played under many coaches at the highest level. And he has taken something from all of them. He knows pressure situations, when you have to deliver,” Schäfer said. 

“His basic style of football stands for incredibly high intensity, high pressing and winning the ball back early. He wants to play forward immediately after regaining possession. An ‘attack mode’ style of football. That is something that convinced us in the discussions, the analysis and the observations.”

Demichelis arrives after a short spell as head coach of RCD Mallorca, where he was unable to prevent relegation despite winning five and drawing three of his 12 matches in charge.

That his stint in Mallorca ended in relegation is not a concern for Schäfer.

“Yes, he was relegated with Mallorca. But he only coached the team for twelve matches and achieved a points average that would have been enough to qualify for Europe in La Liga. We improved a lot last year, built a very solid foundation, and of course we now want to take another step forward in terms of intensity, pressing, physical dominance, passion and enthusiasm," he said.

The success Xabi Alonso achieved at Bayer Leverkusen and the impact Vincent Kompany has made at Bayern Munich have highlighted the potential benefits of appointing former players as head coaches in the Bundesliga in recent years. Asked whether Leipzig expect something similar from Demichelis, Schäfer urged caution.

“First of all, I believe that Martin will simply do us good with his experience and his character traits. Of course, you can see a trend where Kompany and Alonso have brought certain things that not only shaped their respective clubs but also the league. But that is no guarantee. Therefore, I would be cautious with premature comparisons.”