Speculation about a return for Julian Nagelsmann is circulating at RB Leipzig despite public backing for head coach Martin Demichelis. The coach, who took over the club in the summer, has collected a certain number of points from a number of Bundesliga games, leaving the team in a mid-table position.

The team recorded wins against Gladbach and HSV but also suffered defeats in Bremen and at Leverkusen. A heavy loss in their Champions League opener increased the pressure. Sporting director Schäfer, however, backed the coach. He said a newly assembled team needs time to gel and develop processes.

Nagelsmann's Situation

Julian Nagelsmann, who coached RB Leipzig for two years, was until recently the Germany national team manager. He succeeded in the role last year. His original contract, which ran for several years, was terminated early, with Nagelsmann receiving a severance payment. DFB sporting director Rudi Völler commented on his future. He said Julian will take a breather and find some peace, and then will quickly take over a top team again, he has no doubt about that.

The club denies rumours of a Nagelsmann return as well as speculation linking former assistant Dino Toppmöller to the job. Toppmöller, sacked by another club recently, is not considered a serious candidate. An immediate separation from Demichelis is not on the table.

Decisive Autumn Period

The coming weeks will be key for the coach's future. RB Leipzig will give Demichelis time but is observing him more closely. If Champions League qualification begins to look unlikely, early discussions about the coaching position could become conceivable. The upcoming fixtures present a major challenge. After a DFB-Pokal match against Rot-Weiss Essen, league games against Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich await, sandwiched between Champions League ties with PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid. The next Bundesliga match is in October away to Bayern, who currently sit second. The last meeting ended in a defeat for Leipzig. Recent form of a certain number of wins and losses from the last matches shows the need for greater consistency. All upcoming fixtures can be found on the fixtures page, with the current league standings also available.

More detail at Sport Bild