How family tragedy made Kevin Kampl swap football for farm life

Former RB Leipzig midfielder Kevin Kampl has traded packed stadiums for peaceful farmlands after a heartbreaking period that changed his outlook on life.

The 35-year-old Slovenian ended his contract with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig by mutual agreement in January 2026, choosing to step away from professional football following the devastating deaths of his brother and father within seven months.

Kampl said he wanted to focus on spending time with his family, admitting the personal losses made him realise how precious life is.

After leaving the game, Kampl relocated with his family to a traditional finca in Mallorca, Spain, where he has embraced a much slower lifestyle centred around farming.

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Instead of preparing for Bundesliga matches, the former Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Salzburg midfielder now spends his days growing honeydew melons, watermelons, tomatoes, onions and peppers, while also producing his own olive oil.

Kampl described the quiet surroundings of Mallorca as therapeutic, saying the peaceful environment has helped his family begin to heal after an incredibly difficult year.

During an eight-and-a-half-year spell with RB Leipzig, Kampl made 283 appearances and helped the club win back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles in 2022 and 2023.

He also earned 28 caps for Slovenia and enjoyed successful spells with Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.

Although football is no longer his daily routine, Kampl insists he has not completely closed the door on the sport.

He continues to follow RB Leipzig closely and has hinted that a return to football in some capacity could still happen in the future.

FKA/EB

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