The New York Red Bulls have hired Sandro Schwarz as their new manager, the team announced Thursday morning.
“We are very pleased to welcome Sandro [Schwarz] to the club,” Red Bulls head of sport Jochen Schneider. “Sandro is a great leader that fits our culture and his head coaching experience in Europe fits with what we are trying to accomplish. We are excited to get him here and begin to work towards success in 2024.”
The 45-year-old German followed a 12-year playing career, mostly with Mainz of the Bundesliga, with managerial stops at his former club in Germany’s top flight from 2017-2019. He took over Dynamo Moscow, one of the most historic clubs in Russia from 2020-2022 where he helped them finish in the Russian Premier League’s top three for the first time in 14 years.
He returned to Germany to coach another Bundesliga side, Hertha Berlin, for one season.
“I look forward to joining the club and getting started soon,” Schwarz said. “I have a lot of motivation to accomplish many great things with this club and I am excited to get to work for the upcoming season.
“We want everyone to feel right from the start that my staff and I will work for this club with heart, brain, and passion.”
This is a high-profile hire for Schneider, who promised sweeping changes following the Red Bulls’ fifth consecutive first-round playoff exit last month. He parted ways with interim head coach Troy Lesesne, who took over for Gerhard Struber after he was dismissed by the club in May.
Last month during his exit interview, Schneider teased that a coaching hire would come around Christmas. Now comes further roster construction after the team traded away Dru Yearwood and Tom Barlow while reportedly preparing to bring on Swedish international midfielder Emil Forsberg.
