RB Leipzig have sacked head coach Domenico Tedesco after their 4-1 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
A statement from the Bundesliga side on Wednesday morning read: “RB Leipzig have parted company with Domenico Tedesco with immediate effect:
RB Leipzig have parted company with Domenico Tedesco with immediate effect. Assistant coaches Andreas Hinkel and Max Urwantschky have also left the club. RB Leipzig will announce his successor in due course.
The Bundesliga club crashed to a 4-1 defeat on home turf on Tuesday night and that result – as well as a disappointing opening to the domestic season – proved fatal for Tedesco.
The Italian coach, 36, had been in charge since December last year, guiding Leipzig to success in last season’s German Cup and the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they lost to Rangers.
However, they have won just one of their opening five Bundesliga games this season, suffering defeats on the road to Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt.
And Tuesday’s dreadful start to their European campaign against Ukrainian opposition led to the axe falling on Tedesco, as well as his assistants Andreas Hinkel and Max Urwantschky.
Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff said: ‘The decision to release Domenico Tedesco was very difficult for us.
‘We played a successful second half of the season with Domenico last season and qualified for the Champions League.
‘In addition, we won our first major title with the DFB Cup and thus played the most successful season in our young club history.
We owe him and his coaching team a big thank you for that. Domenico is an excellent coach who will certainly continue to be successful.
‘However, after a moderate start to the Bundesliga season, with five points from five games, especially after the most recent games at Eintracht Frankfurt and at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, we lacked the conviction that an immediate turnaround could take place with the current set-up.
‘We have overall responsibility for RB Leipzig and want to achieve our goals.
‘Therefore, in the overall assessment, we came to the conclusion that we need a new impetus.
‘We regret that we are now parting ways and would like to expressly thank Domenico Tedesco and his team for the work they have done.
‘We wish Domenico all the best for his sporting and private future.’
The defeat on matchday one leaves Leipzig playing catch-up in Group F with a trip to defending champions Real Madrid next up. Celtic complete their group.
Shakhtar’s win in Leipzig was memorable as they became the first Ukrainian side to compete in the Champions League since the country’s invasion by Russia earlier this year.
It featured a howler from goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, who presented Marian Shved with the ball and an open net 30 yards out after he tried to be too clever.
Although Mohamed Simakan equalised for Leipzig 12 minutes into the second-half, they conceded again almost immediately to Shved.
Further goals by Mykhaylo Mudryk and Lassina Traore completed Shakhtar’s victory and sealed Tedesco’s fate.
