New challenge

ÖFB player Xaver Schlager leaves RB Leipzig

Xaver Schlager(Bild: AFP/ODD ANDERSEN)

The decision has been made: Xaver Schlager will leave RB Leipzig at the end of the current season. This was announced by the German Bundesliga club on Friday. 

The ÖFB international joined the Saxony-based club from VfL Wolfsburg in 2022 and has played 97 games for them so far. In 2023, Schlager won the DFB Cup and the Super Cup with Leipzig. The midfielder's contract expires in the summer, after which he will be looking for a new challenge as a free agent.

"It's not a decision against Leipzig, but for something new," Schlager was quoted as saying on the RB website. He said he appreciated that the club's management had made a great effort to extend his contract. "Ultimately, however, my desire to experience and try something different again was stronger." The 28-year-old announced that he would "give everything for this club, its fans, and our goals" until the final whistle of his last game for Leipzig.

"He always gave his all on the pitch"
Leipzig's sporting director Marcel Schäfer regrets Schager's imminent departure. "We worked really hard over a long period of time and in several rounds to keep Xaver with us. Nevertheless, we naturally accept and respect his decision to seek a new challenge, especially as the entire process was characterized by honest and open discussions. Xaver has played a decisive role in shaping the last three and a half years at RB Leipzig and has always given his all on the pitch," said the sporting director.

Interest from Italy
Schlager had recently been linked with AS Roma. In addition to the Italian capital club, Juventus has also been flirting with a deal with Schlager for some time. The 28-year-old is considered the preferred candidate of coach Luciano Spalletti.