🤔 Summer’s biggest mistake? This Bundesliga boss proves doubters wrong | OneFootball

When Ole Werner meets his former club Werder Bremen with RB Leipzig this Sunday, two versions of his coaching career collide: the Bremen perception and the current Leipzig reality.

Between these narratives lies a chasm that is widening week by week. The man who was long said on the Weser to struggle with young players is currently shaping one of the most talented offensive machines in the Bundesliga.

Werner's Reputation: "He relies too little on youth!"

Werner's move to Leipzig last summer was viewed critically. To understand this, one must look back at his time in Bremen. Although he first led Werder back to the Bundesliga, established them there, and narrowly missed international competition twice, he clashed particularly in dealing with talents.

The accusation: Young players rarely got real chances. Instead, the pragmatic North German often relied on experienced professionals who performed solidly but unspectacularly. It was often Anthony Jung, Christian Groß, or others who functioned reliably but showed little potential for significant development and overall sparked little imagination.

There are plenty of particularly painful examples: Nick Woltemade, for instance, received limited playing time under Werner, moved to Stuttgart on a free transfer in 2024, and exploded. A year later, he transferred to Newcastle United for 90 million euros. The 23-year-old is now considered Germany’s clear number one striker for the 2026 World Cup.

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Or take Eren Dinkci: The lively forward declined a return to Bremen after his outstanding loan season in Heidenheim and activated his release clause. His later comment on 'Sky' spoke volumes: He felt much more appreciated in Freiburg.

Another statement from Werder's 2024/25 season finale has been cited in recent months as emblematic of Werner's handling of young players. "At the moment when nothing is at stake, these are certainly considerations you can make," the 37-year-old explained when asked when promising youngsters like Patrice Covic or Karim Coulibaly might get a chance in the Bundesliga.

In other words: As long as it was sportingly important, youth was largely sidelined. The numbers support this: With an average age of 27.0 years, Werder fielded the third-oldest team in the Bundesliga last season.

Werner Proves His Critics Wrong

No wonder many were skeptical when Werner moved to a club in the summer of 2025 that stands like no other for the development and profitable sale of young talents. A look at Leipzig's DNA raised two questions: Does he have what it takes to be the coach of a potential Champions League club? And even more: Does he fit the RB philosophy at all?

The heavy 0:6 opening defeat against FC Bayern initially seemed to confirm the worst fears.

But then the picture changed. And radically so. In the next nine league games, the Saxons secured seven wins, one draw, and only one loss. Leipzig suddenly played the exciting, aggressive power football naturally expected there. At the center of this development are notably many young players.

Werner has long distanced himself from the portrayal that he is reluctant to use talents. At a press conference in October, he emphasized that there are "different opinions" on this topic. The decisive factor is the squad structure: "If you have many young players, the likelihood is high that you will also use some."

He makes his selection more based on performance. Moreover: If two players are on par, the one with the "greater perspective for the club" plays. He added: "I really enjoy working with young players."

The Leipzig Reality: Youth in Abundance

And this claim can hardly be better substantiated than with the current RB team. The team that played against TSG Hoffenheim before the international break had an average age of 24.8 years – and that despite veterans like Péter Gulácsi (35) or Willi Orbán (33).

Leading the way is Assan Ouedraogo (19), who recently debuted for the German national team and immediately scored a goal. According to 'Sky', a sum of 50 to 60 million euros would currently not be enough to buy the midfielder out of Leipzig.

Antonio Nusa (20) is also considered a rising star and is heading to the 2026 World Cup with Norway. The winger is a regular in Werner's first team.

And then there's Yan Diomande (19) – perhaps the biggest jewel in the squad. Despite just 600 professional minutes, the teenager joined in the summer for 20 million from Spain, is a regular player, and has been involved in six goals in ten games. All major European clubs already have him on their radar, which is why RB, according to 'Sport Bild', is aiming for the highest sale in the club's history.

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Additionally, there are other players like Johan Bakayoko (22), Romulo (23), Nicolas Seiwald (24), and Castello Lukeba (22), all of whom are integral parts of Werner's system.

Diomande, in particular, is described by the coach as a prime example of how much he enjoys the development of young players. You can "watch week by week how their confidence grows."

The Biggest Misjudgment of the Summer?

In Bremen, Werner was the coach accused for years of lacking youth promotion. In Leipzig, he is currently demonstrating the opposite impressively. Yes, perhaps it was at least partly due to Bremen's squad structure. Maybe he needed the right environment. Or perhaps he is simply a coach who has evolved.

Currently, Werner is providing the best response to the many negative voices of the past. The ambitious RB project does not seem to be too big a challenge for the former Kiel coach. And he has already proven that he can work well with talents, even at Holsteiner Förde.

Was the summer criticism of Ole Werner's move to Leipzig misplaced? It certainly seems so!

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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