RB Leipzig are still looking for a new head coach. "It's not yet the case that we've reached an agreement or that someone is asking us to keep this under wraps. That's not the case, we're not trying to make a quick decision. We are trying to make the best decision for us based on a number of factors," said managing director Marcel Schäfer.
The club, in consultation with global head of soccer Jürgen Klopp, wants a coach who "totally identifies with the location, identifies with the club, with the way we work and the way we want to see our team play soccer". Whether an experienced coach or a young, up-and-coming coach does not matter to RB. The decisive factor is "it has to fit professionally", said Schäfer.
Oliver Glasner, who once worked at RB Salzburg and has now won the English Cup with Crystal Palace, could be a candidate. He has already worked with Schäfer at Wolfsburg. Or it could be a young, dynamic coach like Sandro Wagner, who will leave the national team in the summer as assistant coach to Leipzig's former coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Schäfer: Presenting a different image
Schäfer reiterated that it would not be an XXL change, as existing contracts would be respected. "It will be a departure into a new era, where we want to build something new, build a new team, present a completely different image than what we did this year," said Schäfer after the worst Bundesliga season since promotion in 2016.
The players should be made aware that it is not just "a stopover or a stepping stone". "That can develop, but it shouldn't be the idea when you sign a contract here," emphasized the 40-year-old Schäfer. Team planning has been underway since the fall anyway. "And that's why we have of course already held talks with every player who is in our shadow squad or on the list," said Schäfer, who will also present a new team doctor from July 1.
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