Soccer
Meet Ole Werner, the new man in charge at RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig's new head coach, Ole Werner, is all about goals and high-intensity football – but what’s his story, how will he shape the team and what does he have to say about working with Jürgen Klopp?
Werner is a name in Leipzig that stands for success – and goals. But it's not Bundesliga marksman Timo Werner who's in the spotlight this time. There's a new Werner in town: Ole Werner, the 37-year-old former Werder Bremen coach who's now taking charge as RB Leipzig's head coach with a contract until 2027. Ole Werner has a clear objective: to bring an attacking style that delivers goals and to steer Leipzig back into European competitions after last season's disappointing seventh-place finish.
Despite his relatively young age, Werner has been shaping teams from the touchline since 2013, having started his coaching career at just 25. Born in Preetz, a small town near Kiel in the north of Germany, Werner began his journey in football coaching with the youth teams at Holstein Kiel. It was at this club that his reputation and coaching career truly started to take off. Off the pitch, Werner once worked as a gardener in Australia after finishing school – a job that suits his eye for detail. The trained banker and business-education graduate still puts those skills to use now and then, much to the delight of his mother, who occasionally gets help in her garden.
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The rise of Ole Werner: coaching milestones at Kiel, Bremen and Leipzig
Werner is known as a coach with a love of detail
© RB Leipzig
After coaching Holstein Kiel's reserve side, Werner took over as head coach of the first team in 2019, following two earlier interim stints. During his time in charge, he led the club to one of the most successful periods in its history, coming remarkably close to promotion to the Bundesliga. His ability to build a competitive, disciplined side earned him widespread recognition. After leaving Kiel in 2021, Werner moved on to his next challenge – taking over at Werder Bremen later that year.
Werner stuck with Werder Bremen until May 2025 and made a significant impact. In just a few seasons, he helped the club bounce back to the Bundesliga and kept them steady in the top flight. His calm, no-drama attitude brought much-needed stability, but that's only part of the story. What really stood out was the bold, attacking football he introduced in Bremen. And now? That same high-energy style is what he's bringing to RB Leipzig.
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Not your usual calm coach: the truth about Ole Werner's approach
While Werner's track record speaks for itself, not everyone was immediately sold when RB Leipzig announced his arrival. Reactions were mixed, especially among fans unfamiliar with his quiet, understated style. After all, he doesn't quite fit the typical mould of a high-profile Bundesliga coach. He's from northern Germany, a region often stereotyped as reserved and unemotional, and while Werner might not be a loud presence, he doesn't exactly fit the cliché either. He's not one to make headlines with bold statements. On the sidelines, you’ll rarely catch him yelling or throwing his arms around. Off the pitch, he's more into classic literature and low-key comedy series.
But, just because Ole Werner isn’t shouting from the sidelines doesn't mean he's quiet in the ways that matter. Far from it. Former Werder striker Niclas Füllkrug once said: "I don't know any player who hasn't improved under Ole Werner." That says a lot. Werner is known for developing players with calm confidence, tactical know-how and a sharp eye for detail, but he's not just about structure, he also gives his teams the freedom to play bold, attacking football.
Ole Werner leads his teams to success with calmness and composure
© RB Leipzig
From the beginning, Werner felt confident that his coaching skills matched what RB Leipzig wanted and that the club offered something he hadn't experienced before. "For me, the interesting thing about RB Leipzig is that I find an environment here where development is possible, for players, but also in terms of football," he said. "People think differently and work innovatively here. Things are tackled with a special approach. That's what appeals to me about the job."
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Ole Werner tactics: flexible tactics, unmatched ambition
Tactically, Werner is meticulous and values flexibility. Rather than sticking to one preferred formation, he adjusts his tactics to fit the opponent. While he often used systems like 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 during his time at Kiel and Bremen, at RB Leipzig, he plans to build his game around a 4-3-3 setup.
Werner's goal is to bring RB Leipzig back to European competitions and beyond, but it's more than just results. "We want to stand for recognisable football, regardless of results and league positions," he says. He wants the team to play a distinct, aggressive style that fans and opponents can immediately recognise as Leipzig football. "We want to be aggressive and ambitious," Werner stresses. "Let the opposition feel what it means to be on the pitch against RB Leipzig."
Ole Werner's vision for Leipzig's playing style is bold and determined. He wants the team to be active, courageous and open on the pitch, not passive or reactive. Rather than waiting for opponents to make mistakes or pass the ball to them, Leipzig intends to press aggressively high up the field to win possession quickly, according to the coach. "We won't be a team that hopes the opposition will play the ball into our feet," Werner says. "We will start high and play aggressive pressing in order to win the ball."
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How have Werner's Leipzig started pre-season?
Werner can clearly hardly wait to get started
© RB Leipzig
As Werner steps into his new role at RB Leipzig, he's not doing it alone. He brought two trusted assistants from Werder Bremen – Tom Cichon and Patrick Kohlmann. Apart from that, Werner has the chance to learn from a mastermind of the game: former LIverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, who took on the role as Head of Global Soccer for the Red Bull football network in 2025. "Jürgen and I have spoken a lot," Werner says. "We quickly agreed on how we want to present ourselves as a club and how we want to play football. We exchanged a lot of ideas about content. And we want to keep it that way."
As the new season approaches, fans are wondering how quickly RB Leipzig will adapt under Ole Werner. The first team started their preseason with a 3-0 win against fourth-division club ZFC Meuselwitz, followed by a 7-0 victory over Ligue 1 side FC Toulouse. Early signs of Ole Werner's approach are visible and the new signings are beginning to integrate well. In the match against Toulouse, newcomers Johan Bakayoko, Yan Diomande and Ezechiel Banzuzi all found the net.
The tougher challenges are still ahead. On August 2, Leipzig play Serie A side Atalanta, the 2024 Europa League winners, and a week later on August 9, they face RC Lens, who finished eighth in Ligue 1 last season.
Ole Werner’s first official game as coach will be the DFB Cup match against SV Sandhausen, a team recently relegated to the third division. The Bundesliga season kicks off for Leipzig on August 22 with a big opening match against reigning champions FC Bayern Munich.
Watch RB Leipzig's friendly match against Atalanta BC live and for free on Red Bull TV.