David Wagner: New young manager at RB Leipzig - a promising future!

David Wagner: New young manager at RB Leipzig - a promising future!

Augsburg, Deutschland - rb Leipzig has got a new head for young talent: David Wagner takes over the management of the Bundesliga club's youth performance center. The official announcement was made on June 13, 2025, and Wagner succeeds Manuel Baum, who gave up his post for personal reasons on June 6, 2025. Rumors about a commitment to Augsburg persistently, since Baum could possibly take over the youth department there, reports Merkur .

David Wagner, 53 years old and former head coach at FC Schalke 04 in the 2019/20 season, has an abundance of experience. Before his time at Schalke, he worked for the youth departments of TSG Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund and as a coach at Huddersfield Town, where he Famously Led the Team Back to The Premier League After 45 Years. Marcel Schäfer, the head of sports at RB Leipzig, also emphasized his passion for talent promotion in a statement and emphasizes that Wagner has extensive experience as a football teacher that he will now bring in centrally.

a friend of Klopp and Rangnick

Wagner and Jürgen Klopp are not only old acquaintances, they are also good friends and support each other in their careers. Your relationship goes back to Mainz 05 in the 1990s. With Klopp's emotional approach and Ralf Rangnick's analytical thinking, Wagner wants to improve the transition between the youth department and the professionals. He was recently present at the “Wings-Cup” youth tournament in Leipzig, where he took part in a panel discussion, with the participation of Klopp and Schäfer ( Sportschau ).

The goal is clear: Wagner should sustainably improve the permeability of young people to the professional sector. Many coaches have already accompanied this challenge, and the sporting performance of young players is a complex topic. Factors such as physical, physiological, psychological and social aspects play a crucial role in talent development. Above all, the coaching player relationship, parental support and dealing with criticism and failure are key factors that, according to experts such as Dr. René Paasch are decisive for the success of young talents in the football world ( The sports psychologists )

the reality in young football

The statistics speak a clear language: of over 5,700 young players only 3.5 percent make it into the professional squad. This shows how challenging the path is for many talents and how important it is to properly promote it right from the start. Wagner now brings a tried and tested approach, which hopefully will also bear fruit at RB Leipzig. Working with young talents is a demanding task and we are excited to see how the development will be under Wagner.

In football, the future is often in the hands of those who are willing to develop the full potential of their talents. With Wagner at the head of the youth performance center, RB Leipzig could be on the best way to successfully tackle this challenge.