Bundesliga side Red Bull Leipzig has decided to part ways with head coach Jesse Marsch just four months after the American took office. This comes after the team suffered four consecutive defeats, leaving them in 11th place in the league standings.
The club announced on Sunday that Marsch’s departure comes after he and the club “mutually agreed to part ways.” Having signed a contract with the team in April before taking charge in the summer, Marsch endured a difficult start to his tenure at Leipzig, losing six of the team’s opening 14 matches. In addition, the team lost all of their first three Champions League matches, thereby dashing their hopes of knockout round qualification.
“It was not easy for us to part company with Jesse Marsch, because I hold Jesse in high regard as a person and as a coach,” club CEO Oliver Mintzlaff claimed in a statement. He further explained that the decision to dismiss Marsch was one that was purely reached on performance grounds.
The decision to recruit Marsch came after the American coach proved highly successful during his time with Red Bull Salzburg, leading them to back-to-back titles in the Austrian football league. Prior to arriving in Europe, Marsch played and coached in the MLS. In 2015, he won the Supporters’ Shield with the New York Red Bulls.
Assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer will act as interim coach while the team searches for their successor. He will manage the team in their Champions League clash against Manchester City on Tuesday night.
