RB Leipzig are navigating a difficult start to the season, sitting ninth in the Bundesliga with six points from four matches, and the pressure on head coach Martin Demichelis has been a defining story of recent weeks. A 1:4 Champions League defeat to Como Calcio intensified speculation about his future, but Sport Bild reports that Roger Schmidt, Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer and successor to Jürgen Klopp in that role, backed Demichelis to stay. Sport director Marcel Schäfer followed with a public show of support, citing the squad's significant summer turnover and an injury-hit start as factors requiring patience.

Demichelis took charge in the summer after Ole Werner was dismissed, and his opening results were promising: a 6:0 DFB-Pokal win over Eintracht Trier and a 3:0 Bundesliga victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Since then, Leipzig have won just once in four games, including a 1:3 home defeat to Werder Bremen and the latest setback, a 2:0 loss away at Bayer Leverkusen. Form has been inconsistent on both sides of the ball, with the squad conceding freely while also showing attacking intent.

Off the pitch, Leipzig received a financial boost after UEFA confirmed the club collected 353,000 euros through the club protection programme for 16 players released during the international break, the highest amount among all European clubs in this cycle. Next up is a home Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 10, a fixture Leipzig will want to use to rebuild momentum.