David Raum Retains RB Leipzig Captaincy as Demichelis Names Leadership Group

David Raum will remain RB Leipzig captain for the 2026/27 season, with Martín Demichelis choosing continuity at the top of the dressing-room hierarchy while making changes around him.

Christoph Baumgartner has been named vice-captain, while Benjamin Henrichs, Willi Orbán and Castello Lukeba will form the remainder of the team council.

The decision is interesting because Leipzig are entering a very different phase. The club has lost Yan Diomande, is rebuilding their defence, has brought in several new players, and is starting life under a new head coach. In that situation, Demichelis could easily have chosen to reset the leadership group completely. Instead, he has kept Raum at the centre of it.

That reflects the 28-year-old's importance to Leipzig beyond his position on the pitch.

Raum has been with the club since 2022 and has become one of the senior figures in the squad. He has also accumulated 39 caps for Germany and has played Champions League football regularly, giving him the experience Demichelis is likely to value as Die Roten Bullen try to establish a new identity.

His role could be particularly important because of the changes happening around him.

RB Leipzig are still trying to find the right balance under Demichelis, with the Argentine coach demanding more from his players in possession while also building a more adaptable structure out of possession. Raum's experience of playing as both a traditional left-back and a more attacking wing-back gives him a useful role in that system.

The decision to appoint Baumgartner as vice-captain is arguably even more revealing.

The Austrian is one of Leipzig's most important attacking players when fit, but he has spent much of the summer recovering from a thigh injury. He is not yet back to full competitive action, but Demichelis clearly sees him as one of the personalities who can help drive the team forward once he returns.

His production last season backs that up. Baumgartner finished the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign with 13 goals and nine assists according to Transfermarkt, making him one of Leipzig's most important contributors in the final third. His return therefore matters not only from a sporting perspective but also for the leadership group Demichelis is putting together.

Henrichs and Orbán provide a different type of experience.

Henrichs has been at Leipzig since 2021 and has played both right back and midfield, while Orbán remains one of the club's longest-serving senior players. The Hungarian has worn the captain's armband in previous seasons, and despite losing his starting position, he brings more than a decade of Bundesliga experience.

Then there is Lukeba.

At just 23, the French centre-back is the youngest member of the leadership group. His inclusion is notable, particularly given the uncertainty that has surrounded his future this summer, with Leipzig previously open to listening to offers for him.

But perhaps that picture is beginning to change.

Being selected by his teammates and coaching staff for the leadership group could be another indication that Lukeba remains important to Demichelis and that Leipzig may now be considering a bigger role for him beyond this season. It does not necessarily mean the club has closed the door on a departure, but it does suggest there is still a strong belief in what he can offer.

Raum gets the armband. Baumgartner gets the deputy role. Lukeba, meanwhile, finds himself among the five players expected to provide leadership in a season of significant change.

From here, the stage only gets bigger.