Whoever expresses criticism of RB Leipzig, who castigates its origins and its dubious basic structure to circumvent the 50+1 rule, will certainly be familiar with this phenomenon. At some point, when the arguments run out in the debate, people say: But the people of Leipzig do such a good job.
A) Of course, that doesn’t matter, because the basic flaw of the construct remains, no matter how beautifully, quickly or successfully the team chases across the soccer field. And above all, it is – b) – no longer true. The shower project hasn’t done a good job for a long time.
This is also proven by the dismissal of Domenico Tedesco, who was celebrated as a successful coach just a few weeks ago. Tedesco was in office for less than a year, and after his predecessor Jesse Marsch, he is the second coach to be fired after just a few months.
Long-distance runners with impatience
That speaks either for not too much care in the selection of executives. Or for a lack of competence at the decision-making level.
It’s been more than a year since the club let its sporting director Markus Krösche move to Eintracht Frankfurt. Since then, the sporting fortunes in Leipzig have been managed by CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, a former long-distance runner with expertise primarily in marketing.
Mintzlaff may have a high degree of self-confidence, but his sporting record has now shown some dents. He is responsible for the recently anything but happy personnel policy and the still unsuccessful search for Krösche’s successor.
Above all, however, he stands for an often unhealthy impatience in football. After the second day of play, after two draws, Mintzlaff spoke publicly of one „crappy start to the season” and in his all-round attack also criticized the tactical behavior of the team (“Our remaining defense was not suitable for the Bundesliga”).
Max Eberl in the starting blocks
Anyone who is a little familiar with the customs of professional football could at least have guessed that Domenico Tedesco would not come out of this number unscathed.
As a club manager, how do I dismantle my trainer? Just as!
Two hearty defeats later (0:4 in Frankfurt, 1:4 against Donetsk) Tedesco actually got it. The real problem of the club is certainly not to be found in the coaching position. It is no coincidence that the people of Leipzig are trying hard to sign the former Gladbach sports director Max Eberl. This at least indicates that they have now recognized the problem themselves.
This text appears as part of our cooperation with the Tagesspiegel.
