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Montreal Impact’s first-ever coach in MLS has parted company with the RB Leipzig following the club’s sixth defeat in 14 Bundesliga matches this season.
Timo Baumgartl’s 56th minute winner yesterday for sixth-placed Union Berlin left Leipzig languishing in mid-table and appears to have sealed Marsch’s fate, only days before he was to face Manchester City in the Champions League.
Marsch has been released with immediate effect, assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer taking charge for the visit of the English champions, a tie they may need to take at least a point from, to ensure Europa League qualification.
The club say a successor to March will be named in the near future.
In a statement, Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said, “It wasn’t easy for us to part company with Jesse Marsch, because I hold Jesse in high regard as a person and as a coach. It is a shame that things did not work out as we had hoped with this set-up, and that this step has now become necessary. Unfortunately, the development we were hoping for and the results needed to achieve our goals for the season have not been achieved.
“We are currently running short of our own expectations and with this decision we want to create a new impulse. Regardless of this, however, I also see our players as having a duty and I expect our team, which is very strong in sporting terms, to show its potential and quality on the pitch more consistently than it has done recently.
“I would like to thank Jesse Marsch for the work he has done and wish him all the best, both personally and professionally.”
Marsch, with the Red Bull organization since 2015 after taking over at New York Red Bulls had this reaction...
“I am very grateful to be part of the Red Bull family and to have been given this opportunity.
“Up until the very end, I remained hopeful that after a troubled start to the season and inconsistent performances, we would find more cohesion and stability as a group and turn our fortunes around.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to do that – after a discussion with Oliver Mintzlaff, we came to the joint decision to make a change in the coaching position.
“I keep only positive thoughts in my mind and wish for the club, the team, the staff and all the fans that RB Leipzig finds its way back to its old strengths very quickly and, given the quality in the team and in the club, I am sure that the club will achieve its goals.”
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Jesse Marsch, MLS coach of the year in 2015, subsequently moved to Europe to become Ralf Rangnick’s assistant at RB Leipzig for the 2018/19 season. After a season working under the latest Manchester United interim manager he took the reins at the organization’s Austrian club, RB Salzburg, where he won two Austrian league and cup doubles, ensuring Champions League group stage football.
He replaced Julien Nagelsmann (departed to Bayern Munich) as head coach at Leipzig only at the beginning of this 2021/22 season.
It is unclear at this point if Marsch has left the overall Red Bull football operation.
Early reaction from RB Leipzig fans on social media is split upon whether the former Impact coach was given enough time (less than six months) at their club.