Augsburg have officially announced that Manuel Baum will remain as the first-team manager after the winter break. He has agreed to coach until the end of the 2025/26 season, after which he will return to his position as head of development and football innovation.

The 46-year-old Baum has coached several teams, including Winterfelting, Starnberg 09, Unterhaching, and Schalke 04, and has also worked in youth academy for Augsburg, the German national team, and RB Leipzig. Since temporarily taking over from Sandro Wagner on December 1, he has led the team to one victory, one loss, and one draw.

With four crucial points , Augsburg currently sits 15th in the Bundesliga with 14 points from 4 wins, 2 draws, and 9 losses. This puts them 3 points above the relegation zone, easing some of the pressure on them to avoid relegation.

In fact, this is not Baum's first time managing Augsburg. He served as Augsburg's manager from 2016 to 2019, during which time he led the team to a record of 24 wins, 23 draws and 38 losses, and single-handedly promoted young talents such as Marco Richter, Rafael Framberg and Kevin Danso.

Augsburg's General Manager Michael Strøre explained the decision: "We firmly believe that Manuel Baum is exactly the kind of manager Augsburg needs in the current situation. He enjoys the club's full trust, and we are very pleased that Manuel has agreed to continue coaching until the end of the season. Since taking over the team in early December, his work has been outstanding. We hope to build on this foundation and continue to work together in 2026."

Augsburg's sporting director, Benedict Weber, later added: "Manuel Baum's coaching performance gives us great confidence in achieving success this season. Furthermore, Manuel aligns perfectly with our team development philosophy. He is able to give young players full trust, and has proven this in the past."

Baum himself said: "I have enjoyed working with the team very much. Therefore, I am happy to continue as Augsburg's head coach for a while. However, the most important thing for me is to be able to return to my original position after the season ends. After the short winter break, we will do our best to achieve success in the second half of the season."