RB Leipzig: DFB Pokal Victory The End And Start Of An Era

On Saturday, RB Leipzig defended their DFB Pokal title tanks to a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in front of 74,332 fans at a sold-out Olympiastadion in Berlin thanks to goals by Christopher Nkunku (71’) and Dominik Szoboszlai (85’). Leipzig’s second title in a row might also be the end and start of an era.

“Is that now confirmed,” head coach Marco Rose said to the media in a post-match that had to be arranged on the fly after celebrating Leipzig players shortened out the microphones in the press conference room with a beer shower when asked about Nkunku. Rose’s statement came with a slightly amused smile that he sported once again when asked about Konrad Laimer’s departure. “Is that also confirmed now?”

The departures of Nkunku and Laimer will undoubtedly be difficult to compensate for Leipzig. “This title was very important for the club and the city,” Rose said. “But now we have to do many things right in the summer.”

Nkunku and Laimer, in fact, might not be the only players to depart this summer. Hungarian attacking midfielder Szoboszlai was one of the main protagonists both before and during the final.

Last week Szoboszlai told the Hungarian publication Index that he would be open to leaving Leipzig this summer. “I am in a good position,” Szoboszlai said in the interview. “I don’t want to look back in 15 years and realize that I haven’t made the most with my career.”

According to some reports in Germany, Leipzig fined Szoboszlai for giving an unauthorized interview. Whether those reports are accurate, however, is a different question. Rose indeed downplayed any potential incident or discussion between him and the player in a press conference ahead of the final against Frankfurt.

“I think it is a great signal that Dani Olmo has signed a new contract,” Rose said when asked ahead of the DFB Pokal final on Friday about Szoboszlai, clearly deflecting the topic to more positive news. “We are in good form. [Dominik Szoboszlai] is in good form. There was no conversation between me and the player because we didn’t have anything to talk about.”

Szoboszlai has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United. According to reports in German and English media reports, the Premier League side is willing to pay around €70 million ($77 million) for the Hungarian national team player.

Whether Leipzig would be willing to talk is another question. After all, the Red Bulls will lose Laimer to Bayern Munich and Nkunku to Chelsea. Both those deals have yet to be officially announced, but it is only a question of time until their new clubs will announce the players.

Other players could also leave. There is Emil Forsberg, who was spotted in Berlin carrying two DFB Pokals. The Swede has been with the club since 2015, and at 31, there will be questions whether he can be more than just an impact player off the bench. The club will also have to ask the same question about Danish forward Yussuf Poulsen, who has been with Leipzig since 2013. Poulsen is only 28 but has been struggling with injuries for two seasons now.

Leipzig has already secured central midfielder Nicolas Seiwald and striker Benjamin Sesko. Both arrive from sister club Red Bull Salzburg. Seiwald will be a one-to-one replacement for Laimer. Sesko, in the meantime, is most likely to replace André Silva, who Leipzig is looking to sell in the summer.

That leaves the question of who will replace Nkunku’s role at the club. “We have to do our homework as we will have a fluctuation in the squad,” Rose said. “We need good decisions, creative decisions, and it will be hard work.”

Hence, despite the title, there is a sense of transition at Leipzig. Several star players could be leaving the club, with new players arriving. That leaves sporting director Max Eberl and coach Rose with plenty of work to ensure that the current era will be a quick transition to a new era.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcastand the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth