Roger Schmidt has appeared on the radar at RB Leipzig. The PSV trainer is according to kicker the wunsch-kandidat to succeed Jesse Marsch. The latter was evicted earlier today by the Bundesliga club leadership over disappointing results. Leipzig occupies a disappointing eleventh place in the Bundesliga. It is not the first time that Schmidt has been linked to a return to his homeland. His name has already fallen at Hertha BSC and Eintracht Frankfurt.
According to the above-mentioned German newspaper, Schmidt is the preferred candidate to succeed Marsch who was fired on Sunday. This is mainly due to the fact that Schmidt is familiar with the Red Bull group. The PSV trainer worked in Austria between 2012 and 2014 at Red Bull Salzburg, which is a sister company of Leipzig. Schmidt currently still has a contract with PSV until the end of the season, but it is doubtful whether it will be extended. Both parties have not yet reached an agreement on a longer cooperation.
Rik Elfrink, PSV watcher on behalf of the Eindhovens Dagblad, writes based on noises around the club that a departure of Schmidt ‘is not an issue for him and PSV at the moment’. If Leipzig actually intends to sign up for Schmidt, the Germans will have to come up with a transfer fee. The PSV trainer has no clause in his expiring contract, which means that the Eindhoven team can request a transfer fee. “PSV is currently working on the Europa League match against Real Sociedad and is trying to deliver a good performance there,” Elfrink quotes from the mouth of some people involved around the club.
At Leipzig, assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer is provisionally put forward as a temporary replacement for Marsch. The 54-year-old interim coach will probably take care of the rest of the first half of the season, starting with the Champions League match with Manchester City on Tuesday. As of the new calendar year, there must be a new trainer on the bench. “We assume that we will be able to present the new head coach of RB Leipzig for the second half of the season around December 19,” emphasized sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff on Sunday. Sports1.
In addition to Leipzig, Hertha BSC and Eintracht Frankfurt would also be angling for Schmidt’s services, wrote BILD earlier. PSV has already cautiously said that it would like to continue with the German longer, but the trainer hesitates. Schmidt, who is currently in second place with his club in the Eredivisie behind leader Ajax, is reportedly aware of the interest from his home country. Between 2014 and 2017, the trainer was already working at Bayer Leverkusen. He also worked in Germany for SC Paderborn (2011/12) and Preussen Münster (2007 to 2010) among others.