RB Leipzig are enduring a difficult start to the 2026/27 season, sitting ninth in the Bundesliga with six points from four matches and already six points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund. The club's inconsistency has been stark: promising early wins against Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Trier in the DFB-Pokal gave way to a 1:4 Champions League defeat against Como and a 0:2 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, the result that confirmed their struggles are not isolated.

Manager Martin Demichelis has faced growing scrutiny, with speculation about his position surfacing in German media. The club moved to contain that pressure publicly, with sport director Marcel Schäfer offering a firm statement of support. Roger Schmidt, Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer and successor to Jürgen Klopp in that role, reportedly backed the decision to keep Demichelis in place. Schäfer pointed to a summer of significant squad changes and a run of injuries as factors behind the slow start, arguing the team needs time to find its rhythm.

Off the pitch, Leipzig received a financial boost after the UEFA club compensation programme named them the highest-earning European club during the current international break, receiving around 353,000 euros for their 16 players called up. The next test comes at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on October 10, a fixture Leipzig will need to win to arrest their early-season slide before a trip to Bayern Munich the following weekend.