“No decision has been made yet” – Leipzig boss dismisses reports that Kevin Kampl has retired from football

Marcel Schäfer has denied reports that Kevin Kampl has decided to hang up his boots.

On Friday, Leipziger Volkszeitung and Bild reported that RB Leipzig’s Kevin Kampl had decided to retire from football immediately at the age of 35.

However, RB Leipzig’s managing director for sport, Marcel Schäfer, has poured cold water on these reports.

“No decision has been made yet,” Schäfer insisted in an interview with Sky on Saturday.

Kampl tragically lost his brother Seki, aged 51, in October, and has since been excused from club duties to support his family in his hometown of Solingen.

“In recent weeks, we have had several open and very confidential conversations regarding the special circumstances and his family situation,” Schäfer said. 

He also criticised the media coverage of Kampl’s situation, noting that he would have wished for more “sensitivity and tact” in reporting.

“We have a lot of understanding for headlines and transfer news – football partially lives off that – but this concerns a very special private situation,” he stressed.

Schäfer added that there is no timeline for a decision regarding the future of Kampl, whose contract expires in the summer.

“There are several options on the table. We are discussing them, and if there is something to report, we will do so,” he said.