JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Thank you very much. Very each cited to be here as Red Bulls new head of sport. A arrived three weeks ago. Feel excited to work in this great league MLS, who did an amazing job over the last decade and I feel privileged, also, to live in this wonderful country. Some of you might probably know that I was working for Red Bull global soccer from 2015 until 2017 adds a soccer coordinator. So from that time, I still know many people in this great club like our GM, Marc de Grandpré, our CFO, Luis Miguel Garcia, and for sure, our sporting director, Denis Hamlett. And many other in this wonderful club.
So I have to tell you, the timing of my arrival could have been a little bit better. I arrived exactly the day after the disappointing loss in the Open Cup semifinal in Orlando, and then we had another, I would call it a sloppy performance against Colorado. It was not the easiest beginning here and the heads were down.
But I could immediately feel that we have a great group of players, an amazing coaching team, the staff; they all work together to get us out of this situation and I could feel immediately that there was a fantastic energy in our facility; that there's a great connection between coaching teams there and the players. I'm really happy for the boys that we came back on track in Atlanta last Wednesday and hopefully we will now continue to perform like this, in the last third of the regular season and there was one important win on Wednesday in Atlanta.
So I'm here to help the team, the coaching staff, everybody, to develop this club, to develop our team. To be able to get wins and for sure to win trophy. This is what this sport is about, especially in this league where every team or all the teams are so close together, not like in Germany where you can say already today who will win the league.
So this is amazing, and therefore, I'm happy to be here and to help the club to grow. And finally, it's important for me to tell our fans, who are great and whether he always create a special atmosphere in this wonderful arena here, within of the best in this country. It's important for me to point out that I am happy to work for a unique soccer club, an independent soccer club in the family of Red Bull. But we are not a farm team, and this is very important for me to point out. We are here to develop players and to win trophy, and I'm there for I'm very excited to be part of this wonderful family.
Q. Just my first question, kind. Of big picture as far as how you envision the head of sport role. Obviously there's also a sporting director, Denis Hamlett and your predecessor in the role, Kevin Thelwell kind of styled himself as working a lot on the infrastructure of the academy, the reserves, while also working with the first team. Is that how you envision the role? Do you think Denis Hamlett will have somewhat of a wide responsibility for the first team, or do you think you'll be involved in the first team as well?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: I mean, as head of sport, I oversee the whole soccer department from the first team over to the second team to our academy, scouting department, and Denis, I know him now for more than seven years. He's a great guy and a fantastic sport director and he's a little bit closer to the first team on a daily basis, but we work together and really looking forward to do that.
But I think I wouldn't see it that different to how Kevin saw this role. So I think this is the way you have to interpretate [sic] this job.
Q. Is Red Bull prepared to do everything it can to finally deliver a title, an MLS Cup trophy to its fans?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Definitely. This is why we are here and I mean, I have to point out, the club did an amazing job over the last decade. I think the club qualified 11 times in a row for playoffs, and this is not given by God. This is hard work. A lot of people did a great job in this period.
And then when it comes to playoffs, it's about momentum. It's about luck. Then you have to be there at the right point of time and then you have to prepare for those -- those games. Unfortunately the track record in the last playoffs games haven't been the best one. But you know, it's always a new challenge, and we are -- first of all, we need to qualify for the playoffs and when you qualify for the playoffs, then it's exciting to play these games.
But getting back to your question, yeah, we do, for sure everything, but we do it our way. We don't copy any other club and we do it our way, the Red Bull way and we are convinced that this is the right one.
Q. Over the past couple of seasons, Leipzig Germany has developed into a German juggernaut, per se. They won the Pokal last year, and they buy young players and sell them off. How could you replicate that here in New York?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: I think it's different to compare these two clubs because different leagues, and I think it's not -- it's not a very good idea to compare these two clubs. Our own club as I mentioned before, unique club. We have to find our way to be successful in the future.
Q. You said earlier that you feel that this team is an independent team. It's not a farm team by any stretch of the imagination. However, the constant narrative that whenever this team runs into a patch of failure, that's the first thing that the fans will point out. So my question is this: What do you say to those fans, many of them have pretty much given up after following this team for 27 years; that this model is going to be a successful one? And second, are there going to be some positive changes in the next upcoming transfer window, which most folks saw as a failure? Your words, sir.
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, thank you for the question. Well, the question is how you define success. If you win three times in six years the Supporter Shield, then for me this is success. I know and I fully understand for sure that our fans and supporters want to see MLS Cup in this building and want to see the Open Cup in this building for sure. But winning three times the Supporter Shield, which is great achievement, this is more than something. And yeah, for sure, we will do something in the upcoming transfer windows in order to strengthen our roster.
But again, we will do it our own way and we don't copy any -- any other club.
Q. The club has struggled to fill holes on the sporting side, no listed head of scout and the recent departure of an academy scout. Is this a department that needs to be expanded?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, for sure, when you look at the number of MLEs we have in this department, it's quite obvious that the department needs to be expanded and that we need to find a new head of scouting and that we need to find youth scouts for sure. This is more than obvious, yes.
Q. Something you mentioned before was that you have experience with Red Bull global and something this year, especially, one of the best players on the field for Red Bulls in MLS has been Carlos Cornell, someone who has come from the Red Bull family teams in Europe. The previous, I would say administration really focused on academy players. Do you think going forward the team is going to try to expand its foot talking with the rest of the Red Bull family teams and getting the rest of the players to come to New York more?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Depends. We always have a great exchange with the other Red Bull clubs, with the leadership team, Mario Gomez who I know since he joined at the age of 16 our club in Stuttgart.
So there's a great relationship. We have a fantastic exchange. You know, when there are opportunities to get players like Carlos, for sure we will try to do that. But I mean, there are many other clubs who also have great players who could be a directive for us here.
Q. You mentioned that you had been part of the Red Bull family up until 2017. Have you seen a huge shift in how Red Bull conducts itself in the time that you've been away?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: I was with Red Bull from 2019 because I was from 2017 with RB Leipzig.
I wouldn't say there's a big shift. The clubs have developed. So for sure, that happened a lot in Brazil. The club is on an amazing, an amazing way of success. But I didn't think that shifted a lot, the idea of how we want to play soccer is still the same. It's unique and it's a successful one.
Yeah, I think we need to follow that path and develop the club.
Q. Taking a look at the roster and the construction of the roster as one of the youngest in the League, one of the lower payrolls in the League, how do you parse that as the head of sport and how do you build moving forward?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Well, to be honest, even after three week, I love this team. The energy they are showing every day is amazing. Their working attitude is fantastic. In the games, like Wednesday, they leave everything on the pitch, and for sure we will try to strengthen the squad in the next transfer period.
But I don't want to talk too much about the next transfer period. We are still in this season. Transfer window is closed, which is good, because that calms down everything a little bit, and we can totally focus on the performances on the pitch and we still have I think 12 games to play in the regular season and hopefully many, many more in the playoffs.
So I think it's time to talk about transfers, etc., how we strengthen the squad when this season will be finished.
Q. I wanted to talk about big picture. Nothing we can do about the transfer window. That's done and dusted. Focusing on the here and now; based on that, your predecessor, Mr. Thelwell constantly referred to this team as a "big club." So given what you know about this team and what you've seen thus far, a, do you share his view, and more importantly, since now you're literally taking over the role, what is the ultimate vision for this club, and what would you say to those supporters? Many of them feel that either this team is going backwards or in a circle. What do you say to them; okay, you know what, this is a team worthy of your support and although your patience is tested at this point, give us a chance?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: I would say, it's not important what kind of words I find about or the club. What's important is how we perform on the pitch.
So Gerhard Struber and his coaching team, they are doing an amazing job. The performances they bring on the pitch are fantastic. In every long season, there's a period where you're struggling a little bit. Hopefully we have this now behind us in the last three weeks.
So regarding the other question, I mean, for sure, the vision and the goal is to win trophies. I mean, there is this chance in this league and for sure, even in this season, we are by far not the favorite. But luckily we are all too young. The older ones might know who won the Olympic Gold Medal in ice hockey in 1980 in Lake Placid, and this team was by far not the favorite.
And you know this is what sports makes so special. You don't have to be the favorite. It's totally different to a Broadway musical. You know how a Broadway musical will end, but here you don't know how it will end, and this is amazing. And especially in this league, what I mentioned before, our clubs are so close together and so we have to find the right triggers to make smart decisions and we will be successful and hopefully more successful in the past that means we win more trophy or trophies.
Q. You just said that championships are the goal. What decisions are you going to make for this season, here and now, immediately to try to win a championship this year you guys are not that far away from the playoffs.
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, we are not far away from the playoffs. But nevertheless we are 40 points; we will not reach the playoffs, so we need a few more. You know, as you mentioned before , the transfer window is up.
So it's up to the staff, the coaching team and the players to bring the performance on the pitch. I am there to support and to help, and for sure my onboarding process is not over yet.
I still need to learn how things work in this club. I need to meet people for the first time. I need to get an overview, and this is important. You think my influence at the moment regarding our performance on the pitch is pretty small. But that's okay.
Q. When you a RBNY wants to win our way, can you go into exactly what our way might be?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Always on one hand side, the style of football we play. You know, with high intensity, pressing, counter-pressing, playing vertical. And the other -- on the other hand side, it's about especially count on young players, high-potential players.
And that does not mean that I would rule out, also, to sign one or two experienced players in the future. When I played in Stuttgart, we signed in 2006, a 29-year-old Mexican, Pável Pardo. And one year later, we have won the Bundesliga, and I can tell you it was exactly because of him. I mean, there were other players on the pitch as well; he was not alone.
But he was the key we needed to be successful because he was a leader on the pitch, off the pitch, and he was successful in his years before, at Club América, and that was the right piece in our puzzle.
So I wouldn't rule that out but mainly we focus on high potentials. This is the Red Bull way.
Q. Personally, why MLS now for you? Why is this the next move in your career?
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, because the New York Red Bulls play in MLS, so that's why.
It's a fantastic league. I said before, you know, great development over the last years. It's the fastest growing league in the world. I think the World Cup 2026 will have a huge influence on soccer in the U.S. You know, more and more kids are coming to soccer and the growth of this league is unstoppable.
So I'm just happy to be here to work in this league but also to live in this country.
Q. You mentioned Gerhard Struber earlier, obviously the head coach of the club. Just your relationship with him going back to working in Red Bull and your relationship with him in the last few weeks what you have seen.
JOCHEN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I know Gerhard for many, many years back when he stays in Austria. Great coach. A pure Red Bull soccer coach. Full of energy. His work ethic is amazing. You know, he speaks the language of the players. Full of energy, and he's able to teach this way of football, or soccer, we want to see.
It's great to work together with him. We have a very good relationship, and it's great spending time with him and talking about soccer with him. About MLS, but also about European football. Really feel privileged to work together with him.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports