Marco Rose appointed as RB Leipzig coach

Marco Rose is facing a tough and emotive start as RB Leipzig head coach. After signing a contract until 2024 on Wednesday, he comes up against former club Borussia Dortmund in his first game in charge on Saturday. He parted ways with BVB in May. 

The Leipzig-born head coach will then take his side to Spain to take on Champions League holders Real Madrid the following Wednesday but Rose has said he is unfazed.

"I've had three months off, so I can cope with stress quite well," Rose told a press conference at his unveiling. "It happened in a flash. I was in Salzburg for the Champions League game and suddenly they said: "We might need you tomorrow. 

"I've never taken over a club during the season, but the structures are in order. All the people who work here are fully professional."

Familiar failings?

Rose struggled to find consistency in his one season in charge of Dortmund, being knocked out of the German Cup by second-tier St Pauli in the Round of 16 and failing to progress through the group stages of the Champions League before losing 6-4 on aggregate to Rangers in the Europa League playoff knockout stages.

RB Leipzig have suffered similar issues at the start of this season, being knocked out of the German Cup in the first round, recording just one win from five to start the Bundesliga season and suffering a 4-1 home defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.

Despite the run of results, Rose is confident things he can work with what he has, with no transfer window until January: "The squad is not particularly large. So it will be exciting to see how we get through the intense weeks but there will also be fewer dissatisfied players. 

"We have young and experienced players, everything you need is there. We want to get more stability at the back by putting more pressure on the ball up front."

Added pressure on homegrown coach

The 45-year-old is also aware of the Red-Bull football style of play, having coached the Red Bull Salzburg youth teams in Austria from 2013-17 before taking charge of the first team from 2017-19.

Having been born Leipzig, Rose spent the first five years of his professional playing for local team Lokomotive Leipzig, later renamed VfB Leipzig, and he is well aware of how many eyes will be on him.

"It's never easy to take on such a high-profile position in your hometown," Rose added. "People expect a lot from the club and from you. 

Tedesco pays price for poor start

Rose’s appointment came the day after Domenico Tedesco was sacked following the Red Bull-backed team’s dreadful start to the season, despite Tedesco having led the club to their first major trophy in the German Cup final just four months earlier.

Tedesco, who led Schalke to a second-placed Bundesliga finish and the Champions League in his previous stint in Germany, took over from Jesse Marsch in December and took Leipzig from 11th back to the top four and the German Cup win.

"It wasn't an easy decision to part ways with Domenico Tedesco," RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said. "He achieved fantastic things with our young club and he deserves our greatest respect and gratitude. We wish him all the best, he's an excellent coach."

Edited by: Matt Pearson