Source: Live broadcast
Live broadcast on September 19. Leipzig Sports Director Marcel Schaefer talked about klopp in an interview with Sky Sports recently. Schaefer said that klopp helped the team find its former DNA after suffering the blow of missing the European war this season.
Since being promoted to the Bundesliga in 2016, Leipzig has achieved stable results. The 24-25 season is the first time that they missed the top six in the Bundesliga, so they missed the European competition this season.
Scheffer said: "On the one hand, this should be the motivation for us to qualify this season. But on the other hand, to be honest, it makes me a little painful to sit at home and watch other teams play European games. Maybe we lost a little of our DNA."
Sheffield said they had a tough conversation with Red Bull’s senior team, including Klopp and Mario-Gomez:“Our primary goal is to find back the roots of what has made Leipzig so successful with young, aspiring and potential players, which is the selection criterion we have always adhered to.
This high-pressure style is the long-standing advantage of Leipzig, where they know what kind of players they need, and those players understand their expectations.But as the demand for progress continues to increase, this clear vision becomes blurred, and people begin to think that controlling is the next direction of development.
When asked about the question,Schaefer spoke of the need to "stay firm in the club's philosophy", as there was a serious deviation from it.Schaefer said: "Red Bull style means high-intensity pressing, high-position oppression and quick counter-attack. Those top teams attach great importance to the way they play when they have the ball, and we can't completely change our ideas because of it.
““Now Leipzig is a controlling team? no, that’s not our style, nor is it realistic. Of course, in the face of a deep defensive team, we need to find a way to break through closed spaces, and last year we had a big problem at this point.”
For Leipzig, the arrival of the new head of staff, Oller-Werner, was to correct this problem.But the existence of Klopp is the most remarkable.
Sheffield said: “As the executive of the Red Bull Group, he is responsible for all the teams, for the style and the philosophy of the game.” and outside the pitch, Klopp’s job also includes persuading the players to join the project, which is the biggest harvest, and his reputation in the football world has given Leipzig an advantage in the negotiations.
For example, young frontman John-Bacca Yoko, who signed this summer, Sheffield said: "The dialogue between Jürgen and John helped a lot, and if we want to convince a player, we will try our best to get them to feel the true Red Bull energy and power.Klopp is an important factor in this process and we will do our best.”
Leipzig also signed for Danish forward Hadel from Portugal, who also spent a lot of money introducing two teenage players Jan-Diomand and Andrea-Maximovic, with the oldest new support being 23-year-old Romulo.
Sheffield said: “We’ve signed very brilliant players and maybe they’ve received a better offer economically, but Leipzig offers them a path to develop. We’re really focused on young players and committed to their growth, and joining Leipzig shouldn’t be the end of their careers.”
Leipzig has produced a talented group of young players in recent years, such as Olmo, Yupamecano, Konate, Sobosloi, Gvadiol and Nkunku. This summer, they sold Sheshko, Openda and Xavi Simmons to Manchester United, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.
Sheffield said: “Over the past two years we have had a group of young, hungry and potential players, and we have brought them to a new level, for them.It’s better to grow up here and then jump to big clubs because big clubs don’t have that much patience.”
But the Leipzig model has also attracted the attention of other clubs, which makes it harder to find talent? Sheffield said: “Selling players to Premier League is of course a good way, and now it’s not harder to find players, but it’s harder to sign them. Five or six years ago, only a handful of clubs really focused on young, hungry and potential players and dedicated to cultivating them.Now, even England's top teams are struggling to sign the best talent.
“But because of our accumulation, I think we still have an advantage in this regard. achievements on the pitch? it takes time, and this season without a European war may be good for us.”