Title talk and more with Leipzig's Marco Rose

bundesliga.com: Last week, it was announced that Klopp will become the new head of global soccer at Red Bull from January 2025. It’s been a while since you last worked together, but what are your thoughts on working alongside each other in the future?

Marco Rose: "I am looking forward to his expertise, to many discussions with him from coach to coach – although he's not a coach anymore. But he was one of the most successful coaches for many years. He won everything: the Bundesliga, the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League. I played under him at Mainz. He didn't just win titles, but also went through tough times - we were even relegated. He didn't win the title in his first or second year at [Borussia] Dortmund. Even at Liverpool, he had to work at things and put together a squad that suited him. That paid off in the end. As such, his expertise and aura will definitely benefit and help us, and I'm definitely looking forward to it."

bundesliga.com: Are there aspects of this upcoming working relationship where you’d say Jürgen could enrich or further your work as a coach?

Rose: "Definitely. I'm looking forward to talking with him about football and what he's done down the years, because his style of play has also changed and, therefore, almost certainly his training methods and approach. The most important thing for me is that Kloppo was a coach at a top level himself and so understands Rose the coach, [Pep] Lijnders the coach or [Sandro] Schwarz the coach in New York. He can offer support and help. It’ll be a good exchange. It's a real bonus, a great signing, and we’re excited about it."

bundesliga.com: Concentrating on Leipzig now, your defence is one of the best in Europe - you've conceded just twice in six Bundesliga games. Are you proud of that record? Are there still things to improve?

Rose: "I haven't thought much about it. It obviously helps to have a good defence, but it's also important that we score goals. I think we defend well on the whole as a team. That's the key thing, but we can still do better. In the [UEFA] Champions League game against Juventus, for example, and how we defended in the box. Our counter-pressing and transitions, too. I think we’re generally good defensively and work hard, but we can still get better throughout the team."

bundesliga.com: The numbers are still impressive. You said it's a team effort, but is there one thing you can highlight?

Rose: "We have four clean sheets. That's good from six games. At the back, I think we've got a goalkeeper who's in great form. He [Péter Gulácsi] saved a penalty where we ended up keeping a clean sheet [in the 4-0 victory over Augsburg]. We've earned that bit of luck, but I also think it's down to a lot of ability and hard work. We've also got Willi Orbán, who is a pillar at the back, and the guys around him are doing a good job as well. However, it starts further forward. When we can cut out a lot of attacks early on with aggressive and high pressing, that then relieves the guys in defence."

bundesliga.com: Looking further forward at the attack, you’ve scored nine goals in those six Bundesliga games. What can you build on offensively?

Rose: "In the first few games, we faced deep-lying opponents. It's always tough for any team to find ways through and create chances. Still, we managed that very well in our last home game against Augsburg. That is and remains the biggest challenge, playing in a goal-driven way but also not allowing the opponent to counter dangerously, because that is mostly what they are looking to do. That means developing good decision-making, and we've been working on that for weeks. We have recently taken one step forward and then maybe one back. It's just about playing in as complete a way as possible, and having the right answer for all opponents.

bundesliga.com: In [Benjamin] Šeško, [Loïs] Openda and Xavi [Simons], you have a trio of attackers who are in form and confident What’s your assessment of them right now?

Rose: "First of all, they are all really good guys who are a lot of fun and add a lot of energy. They're all different characters. Not only do they have a strong level of individual quality, but they also try to use [it] for the benefit of the team. However, they are also still young players, who are still looking for consistency. They sometimes should big responsibilities for their national teams as well. Šeško is Slovenia’s top player. Xavi is becoming ever more important for the Netherlands and a key part of the team. Loïs is starting to play more regularly for Belgium. We want to support them, help them become more consistent in their performances and to develop them further as people, so they can take on the role of a leader on the pitch."

Watch: The Best of Benjamin Šeško 2024/25

bundesliga.com: What are their big strengths and how do they complement each other? You spoke about their character, but what about on the pitch?

Rose: "Loïs is a proper centre-forward who has pace and a low centre of gravity. That makes things really awkward for opponents. He’s also a great finisher. He sometimes scores in unorthodox ways and still manages to find gaps when there doesn't seem to be any. It's not just luck as it keeps happening. Still, he can still develop in some areas. Despite his physique, he could hold up the ball better, for example. Šeško, meanwhile, is a very complete athlete on the whole. He's big and can jump incredibly high, while he's also very mobile. It means he can pop up everywhere, with his head or feet, wherever he needs to be. We're working on his belief in himself, even when things don't go his way - you can sometimes see that he's still young. Xavi is a very different sort of guy. He's smaller, which makes him tough to get to grips with. He moves very well between the lines and understands the game very well, plus he can finish. But he also can improve. I think he can be much more determined in how he works going forward, such as following a pass into the box. But on the whole, they are all playing at a very high level despite their young age. It’s a very interesting mixture."

bundesliga.com: It’s also interesting as a coach to have those different characters in the team. How much freedom do they get on the pitch?

Rose: "We have a few principles that are always in force and are important. That also goes for positional play. But within their position, and in certain phases of the game, they have a load of freedom to use their individual quality and instinct."

bundesliga.com: At the moment, you're currently level on points with Bayern Munich, who are eager to retain their title. Is it possible for Leipzig to have a big say in the title race this season, especially considering how well you have started?

Rose: "A big topic of conversation in Leipzig is expectations. I always say we're working here to strive for the greatest possible success. We've won trophies already. That means we know the feeling and want to have that feeling again. The important thing is you don't just expect it. You can expect us to give our all. You can expect us to be very ambitious and want to win every game. But, at the end of the day, the opponent also has a say. Our fans can dream of many things, but a healthy approach in terms of expectations is also very important."

Watch: Are RB Leipzig genuine title candidates?

bundesliga.com: Is that what you dream of in terms of goals and titles?

Rose: "I'm also human and have dreams - hopefully many more for a long time to come. I'm just like our fans and many of our players. We lifted the DFB Cup and last year we won the Supercup. In Leverkusen, they got to celebrate winning the Bundesliga for the first time last season, which was a special moment, and you could sense that as well. Their success has awoken aspirations and expectations. We're up there and will try to continue to develop, to improve, to navigate difficult periods, so that we can ultimately have the chance of achieving something big here."

bundesliga.com: You’ve been at Leipzig a while now. It was clear from the start that it meant a lot to you. Loking back at the past years and months, how has Marco Rose the coach changed?

Rose: "It hasn't been perect since I've been here, but it's been good because it's an ambitious club in my hometown. I've spoken about that a few times. I love Leipzig, I love the city - it's my city. It wasn't an easy decision to come here, but I made it with complete conviction. Now, after over two years, I've got to say I'm very happy with my decision because I can be at home, because we have won two trophies and have achieved something together. On the whole for me, it's great to be here. I feel very much at home. I can go out and don't feel under any form of pressure being out in public. I go to places I like. I go walking with my family and I'm able to enjoy my city. Nothing at all has changed in my love towards it. At RB, I don't think we’ve been unsuccessful in the last two years either. Now, we’re working on being able to celebrate more success. We’re trying to live up to the dreams and expectations of people here."