Ole Werner delivers as RB Leipzig secure UEFA Champions League football again
After a fallow year, RB Leipzig are officially back in the UEFA Champions League. Saturday’s 2-1 victory over St. Pauli secured a top-four Bundesliga finish and completed an impressive first season under Ole Werner, who has helped revive the club after a turbulent summer.
After missing out on European football for the first time since their promotion to the Bundesliga last season, Leipzig entered 2025/26 facing mounting questions about their direction of travel.
Major departures, an abundance of youth and the appointment of Werner after his exit from Werder Bremen created uncertainty around a team that had become accustomed to playing in UEFA competition. And yet, in his debut campaign, Werner has managed to restore a sense of stability and direction.
Leipzig’s return to the Champions League was confirmed on Matchday 33 after a 2-1 win against St. Pauli on home soil. The match itself saw departing midfielder Xaver Schlager and veteran centre-back Willi Orbán score for Leipzig, to underline what a team effort its been this term.
That isn't to say that the side lacks star power - far from it. One of the biggest factors behind their revival this season was the excellent recruitment last summer following the loss of Benjamin Šeško, Xavi Simons and Loïs Openda.
Needing firepower in attack, club chiefs turned to a little-known 18-year-old by the name of Yan Diomande, who, in his maiden Bundesliga season, has been nothing short of sensational. Some 20 Bundesliga goal involvements later, it's safe to say he has been one of the best bits of business across the division.
Goals have also come from midfield in the form of Austria international Christoph Baumgartner, who has evolved into a talismanic figure under Werner. That attacking firecracker, combined with a stingier defensive line, has helped Leipzig acquire 14 more points than they managed last season - with a game still left to play.
It remains to be seen whether the Saxony side can build on this season's achievements and push the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund next term. After all, in the case of the former, Leipzig are still a distant 20 points adrift of top in the Bundesliga table.
And yet, with youngsters like Castello Lukeba and Assan Ouédraogo in their ranks, this squad seemingly has another level it can go to in the years to come. Werner's track record at Bremen should give fans even more cause to be optimistic.
After getting Werder promoted in his first season in charge, the 38-year-old guided them to Bundesliga safety in his second year, and ended his spell at the club with an eighth-placed finish. Remarkably, Werner's Bremen side finished just one place below Leipzig in the table last term.
Experienced figures have also played an important role in balancing the youthful squad. Club captain David Raum has provided leadership and quality from left-back, while veterans such as Orban and Lukas Klostermann have chipped in with big performances along the way.
Now, Leipzig can look ahead to another campaign among Europe’s elite. Given that the club finished well outside the Bundesliga top four last season, and had many of their superstar talents prised away in the months that followed, this season can only be viewed as a success for Werner and Co.
