The New York Red Bulls are turning to a former Bundesliga manager to take over the club’s vacant head coaching job.
Sandro Schwarz was named the Red Bulls’ next head coach on Thursday a month after the club relieved interim coach Troy Lesesne from the role at the end of the MLS season.
The 45-year-old, whose most recent coaching venture had been with Hertha Berlin, is the 20th coach in the franchise’s history dating back to its inception in 1996 as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars.
“We are very pleased to welcome Sandro [Schwarz] to the club,” Head of Sport Jochen Schneider said in a statement. “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.”
Schwarz spent one year as Hertha Berlin’s manager before they let him go in April as the club teetered on relegation in the Bundesliga.
Before that Schwarz, who had a playing career that spanned from 1998 to 2009, had been the head coach of FC Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Premier League and another Bundesliga club, Mainz 05.
His two seasons at the helm of Dynamo Moscow have proven to be the most successful of his coaching career thus far, recording 32-17-8 and leading the club to its first Top-3 finish in 14 years.
“I look forward to joining the club and getting started soon,” Schwarz said in a statement. “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.”
While the Red Bulls have consistently made the playoffs and extended their MLS-best playoff streak to 14 this past season, the club has yet to capture a league title.
Local rival NYCFC captured the MLS Cup in 2021 in just its seventh season of existence.
The Red Bulls dealt with plenty of issues last season, which included early struggles finding the back of the net, the suspension of designated player Dante Vanzeir for the use of racist language during an April match and the firing of head coach Gerhard Struber.
Lesesne did help usher the Red Bulls into the postseason, but the club was eliminated in the first round.
Following the season, Schneider promised sweeping changes to the club as it hopes to finally take the next step.
“We are proud of the run that we made it now 14 times in a row into the playoffs, but let me say this clearly: This is not good enough,” Schneider told reporters last month during the exit interviews.
The Red Bulls have already begun making changes, trading away Dru Yearwood and Tom Barlow, parting ways with longtime sporting director Denis Hamlett and adding Swedish international midfielder Emil Forsberg.
Now Schwarz is the latest move for the MLS club.
“We want everyone to feel right from the start that my staff and I will work for this club with heart, brain and passion,” the new coach said.