Leipzig's Champions League frustration: "It hurts like hell"

Following Leipzig's elimination from the Champions League with zero points, managing director Marcel Schäfer did not want to think about the upcoming Bundesliga task. The frustration and disappointment were too deep-seated; progressing in the European Champions League is impossible. In addition to sporting glory on the international stage, there will be no further financial income. But one problem is even more acute.

Also still worried about Haidara

"If we have to talk about one cause, it's: 'Why do we have so many injured players," Schäfer emphasized. "The number is rather large. We certainly have to look into it."

He did not want to admit any doubts about the size of the squad. "Of course we are very self-critical," he said: "But I don't see a structural problem." If you have 35 players, for example, "then I have to say: have fun every weekend when you have to tell 12 to 15 players that you're unfortunately not in the squad". In Leipzig, however, it's more likely to be just 12 to 15 players who are fully fit.

Amadou Haidara was also forced off during the break in Tuesday night's 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa due to muscular problems. Lukas Klostermann is also still far from 100 per cent - coach Marco Rose: "We're just afraid that Klosti's knee will blow up in our faces if he plays more than one half."

The result: those that are left are in constant use in three competitions. And what went well in the DFB Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt in the middle of last week and then in the Bundesliga against newcomers Holstein Kiel was consistently exploited by Aston Villa. "We have 14, 15 men at the moment who have to plow through everything. That's brutally tough," said Leipzig attacker Christoph Baumgartner.

"We have to be honest"

The fact that Arthur Vermeeren is also missing for the upcoming championship match at home on Sunday against Frankfurt, who were defeated in the cup, due to a yellow card does not make it any easier for coach Rose. The euphoria triggered by the two recent victories after the interim slump, which also cast doubt on the 48-year-old's future at RB, is already gone. The defeat against the Premier League sixth-placed team hit RB hard, with quite a few fans leaving the Red Bull Arena before the final whistle.

"It hurts incredibly," emphasized Baumgartner: "The game was a reflection of the entire Champions League season. We're always in the game, we're always close, but in the end we're not quite there and we lose. We have to be honest with ourselves and say it wasn't good enough to progress."

Zero points after six games against some of the top opponents, such as league leaders Liverpool FC. The games in January at the Red Bull Arena against Sporting Lisbon and then at Sturm Graz will hurt, as they will be Leipzig's last two in the Champions League.

"That's how it works in sport sometimes," said Rose after the latest defeat, in which his team at least managed to equalize a visitors' lead twice: "Nevertheless, the boys put up a fight, but at the moment we simply can't do any more."

While the coach, who consoled the departing linesman after the game, wanted to quickly tick off the premature end, Schäfer couldn't think about the upcoming game against Frankfurt: "I'll be honest: the disappointment is just too great."