RB Leipzig are at a crossroads early in the 2026/27 season, with questions about Martin Demichelis growing louder despite a 5-0 win over Hamburg last weekend that offered temporary relief. The Argentine took over from Ole Werner in the summer and signed a contract until 2028, but results have been mixed. A 1-3 defeat at Werder Bremen and a 1-4 Champions League opening loss to Como 1907 exposed real problems in Leipzig's attacking play, with captain David Raum publicly admitting the team needed to change quickly. Sport director Marcel Schäfer has publicly backed Demichelis, insisting the club will not be deflected from its course, but he acknowledged the recent results fall short of expectations.

The latest complication is a reported communication breakdown inside the squad. According to Sport Bild, Demichelis speaks neither sufficient German nor English, forcing his coaching staff to relay his instructions through a chain of translators during team talks. German players are said to explain the manager's words to each other after sessions, diluting the impact of his messaging.

Off the pitch, Leipzig also confirmed that midfielder Assan Ouedraogo requires surgery on a right shoulder capsule injury sustained against Hamburg and will miss an indefinite period, ruling him out of Germany's Nations League camp under Jürgen Klopp. Leipzig sit fifth in the Bundesliga with six points from three games. They travel to Bayer Leverkusen on 20 September in a match that will test how much the Hamburg result has genuinely steadied the ship.