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RB Leipzig appoint Tedesco as new coach

December 9, 2021

The 36-year-old has been thrust into the hot seat after the sacking of American Jesse Marsch last weekend. RB Leipzig have struggled in the Bundesliga since the departure of Julian Nagelsmann to Bayern Munich.

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Domenico Tedesco gives instructions to his players
Domenico Tedesco secured his first win in his first game for RB LeipzigImage: Thomas Eisenhut/Getty Images

Domenico Tedesco has been appointed as the new coach of RB Leipzig as the club looks to rescue its season following the departure of Jesse Marsch last weekend. 

Leipzig, runners-up from the 2020-21 Bundesliga season, are currently placed 11th and dropped to the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group. 

Tedesco, 36, a former coach of Schalke and, most recently, Spartak Moscow, will look to return the Roten Bullen to the Champions League qualification spots, something he managed with Schalke in 2017-18 when they finished second behind Bayern Munich.

Tedesco made a good start too, guiding RB Leipzig to a comprehensive 4-1 win over Gladbach in his first game in charge.

New generation 

One of the new generation of German trainers who did not play the game professionally but have emerged as leading coaches - fondly referred to as "laptop trainers" - Tedesco is known for his coaching philosophy that he describes as "forward defending." 

It was a 7-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the Champions League eventually resulted in his sacking at Schalke. Tedesco then moved to Russia where he worked to keep Spartak Moscow in a position to challenge for the title as they finished second behind Zenit Saint Petersburg in the 2020-21 season.

He declined to extend his contract in Moscow due to the COVID-19 pandemic that made it difficult to see his family regularly. Now he turns his attention to rescuing Leipzig’s season and ensuring they can qualify for European competition next season while also having a decent run in this season's Europa League.

Edited by: James Thorogood