Ole Werner and RBL get to work: “A strong, high-intensity start” | OneFootball

It was a special day at Cottaweg as Ole Werner led his first training session as head coach of RB Leipzig on Monday afternoon. “It was a strong start, with plenty of intensity. We’re all excited to be back on the pitch,” said Ole after the session.

While the players had already undergone performance testing on Friday and Saturday, it was now time to get back to work with the ball. All eyes were on the new boss as he stepped onto the pitch with his squad for the first time. As he had in his introductory press conference, the 37-year-old made a relaxed and approachable impression.

But things quickly got serious. Following a short warm-up, the squad got stuck into running drills, ball work and a final training match.

Also on the pitch was a new face: Jan Zimmermann has joined the coaching staff and will support head coach Ole Werner alongside assistants Patrick Kohlmann and Tom Cichon.

Ole’s initial focus

In these opening days of pre-season, the new head coach is putting an emphasis on fitness and defensive structure: “First, it’s about building a physical foundation. From a footballing perspective, we want to bring clarity to how we press in different formations. But football is always about connecting different elements. How do we transition after winning the ball? How do we push forward after a turnover?”

More on Jan Zimmermann’s appointment

Jürgen Klopp: “A positive start”

Also part of the session were the two new signings Ezechiel Banzuzi and Max Finkgräfe. “These are two young, very talented players with a lot of potential. We’re very happy they’ve chosen RB Leipzig. Both will help us and increase the competition within the squad,” Werner said afterwards during a media session.

Jürgen Klopp, Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, was also in attendance to watch the first session live in Leipzig. “I’ve got a great impression of Ole – he did a fantastic job in Bremen and Kiel, and he really impressed us in our talks. We’re thrilled to have brought him on board as our new head coach. The start has been made, and it’s been very positive so far.”

RB Leipzig’s first match of the new season takes place this Saturday (15:30 CEST) in Meuselwitz. As part of a charity fixture, the team will face Regionalliga side ZFC Meuselwitz at the bluechip-Arena.

The best pictures from the first day of training

Discover more

Fixtures Red Bull Arena First team Jugendförderung Fan Zone