Tragedy in the family makes the midfielder with almost 300 matches in the Bundesliga retire early
Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published Saturday, December 20, 2025 22:41 / Updated Saturday, December 20, 2025 22:56
At 35, Slovenian international midfielder Kevin Kampl is considering retirement from football following the sudden death of his older brother last October. This season, 28-capped Slovenia international Kampl has played just two minutes and his “disappearance from the radar” has caused consternation, with German media now revealing the tragic reason.
According to local newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung, Kampl has left the city and is with his family, trying to deal with the tragedy as best he can. The same source notes that RB Leipzig and the player are considering an immediate termination of the contract, valid until the end of this season, after which Kampl could hang up his boots.
The club director reacted: “We are aware of the difficult circumstances”
The Slovenian has been one of the club's most important players in recent years. Since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2017, he has won three trophies: two Cups and a German Supercup.
On Saturday, before the match against Leverkusen, sporting director Marcel Schäfer commented on the situation:
“Kevin can make whatever decision he wants. We have given him all the time he needs and we are trying to help him manage this situation. There are several options on the table, but no decision has been made. We have had many frank and honest discussions with the player in recent weeks and we are aware of the difficult circumstances of this situation.”
Kevin Kampl has been with RB Leipzig since 2017, for whom he has made 283 appearances, scoring 10 goals and providing 23 assists. In his career, he also played for Bayer Leverkusen, Greuther Furth, Osnabruck, Aalen, Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund.
