Sandro Schwarz names USA peculiarities and looks at former club Hertha BSC

Interview

In April 2023, Sandro Schwarz had to resign from Hertha BSC, and a year later he was shaking up the US MLS as coach of the New York Red Bulls. After nine game days, his team is in second place in the Eastern Conference. The coach spoke to Watson about his move to the USA, the exchange between the RB clubs and Kay Bernstein.

Watson: Sandro, what do you think of the term feared opponent?

Sandro Schwarz: Opponent is a good word, you need that in football. But I can’t do anything with fear. At the end of the day it’s always a new challenge, even if it’s the same opponent. He gives you a task and you try to give him a task.

Looking at the numbers suggests that Cincinnati has been a fearful opponent for New York in recent years. The Ohio club eliminated your club twice in a row in the playoffs and once in the US Open Cup.

We already noticed that, but we didn’t discuss it. We didn’t get any additional motivation from this. It’s more about the current state.

That gives you an advantage, you recently won 2-1 against Cincinnati. Who or what is supposed to stop you now?

Slowly slowly. We are only at the beginning of a development and the beginning of a season. The game in Cincinnati was a good confirmation for us. But we still have over 30 games, then hopefully playoffs.

You have now played nine games. What characterizes the MLS?

The MLS is characterized by a high level of individual, footballing quality. There are a lot of South Americans here, the teams want to play football. The away trips are also different. You can play away three times in a row, with climatic and time differences. You also have to adapt to this in your playing style.

In what way?

If you get on the plane when it’s three degrees and get out again when it’s 25 degrees, it does something to your organism. The game principles remain the same, but the shifts can be different. Sometimes you have to dominate possession of the ball without losing energy, instead of running in every time and pressing through. It takes a good mix.

Things are tight at the top in both conferences. Why can’t any team really break away?

It’s relatively simple: the same rules apply to everyone, especially when it comes to the squad structure. Individual clubs spend more on designated players, but in principle everyone operates within the rules of the MLS. There is little fluctuation up or down. So it’s tight in every game, little things are crucial.

All of this is due to the salary cap. Do you think the system is good?

Yes, but you shouldn’t forget that there are licensing procedures in Germany. As a rule, no money is thrown out the window that doesn’t exist. There are pros and cons when it comes to salary caps. If you open it up further, even more players will come with even more quality. On the other hand, the performance density is so high that little things always make a difference.

Does the salary cap lead to less planning security for trainers?

It’s called something different, but as a rule it’s difficult to keep players willing to move, even in Germany. The right to have a say in drafts is different here because it runs through the league. From a coaching perspective, however, it is the natural path for one or two players, especially on a young team like mine, to take the next step with another team.

You only have three over-30 players in your squad. However, professionals like Tyler Adams who make the leap to Europe are rare. Will there be supplies soon?

Absolutely, that is our claim. We want to have maximum success on site, but also stimulate developments. We want to serve as a springboard for one or the other to Europe or wherever. But it has to make sense because MLS is too good to just go to Europe. It has to be a next step that makes sense in terms of content.

Maybe to another Red Bull club. How regular is the exchange between the RB clubs?

First of all, there is a very good atmosphere here, a very good exchange – with the sporting director Jochen Schneider, sporting director Julian de Guzman and CEO Marc de Grandpre.

And internationally?

With Red Bull Global bringing this together, it runs through Oliver Mintzlaff and Mario Gómez. There you are in exchange. Also with the other clubs, about the idea of ​​football, the idea of ​​togetherness. Without having fixed regular appointments, just in a good atmosphere. The connection to Leipzig is there anyway because my best friend is a coach there. Overall it is a very good organization between the individual locations, but also within our club.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose (l.) and Sandro Schwarz (r.) have a long-standing friendship.Image: dpa / Rolf Vennenbernd

What is the focus when Gómez comes forward?

Development is always an important topic, but so is topicality. Where should we go and what is the atmosphere like? This isn’t just a stupid processing of some football content. But it’s also about football, about tactical content, about principles. He also has a global analysis team for this purpose.

Let’s stay in Europe: How much do you still keep an eye on your former clubs in Germany?

I still have an eye on both clubs. I don’t interact with each other every day, but I do from time to time. It’s a little more intense with Mainz because I was a player and coach there for a long time and come from there. But I’m also in contact with one or the other at Hertha.

After the unexpected death of Kay Bernstein, you canceled a press conference in New York. Was that a sign of respect or did you need some distance yourself that day?

I was in a deep state of shock. When I found out about Kay’s death that morning, it was natural for me, also out of respect for him and his family, that I wouldn’t sit on a PK in New York and let my feelings about how I was doing in the USA be free Let it run.

Were you still in touch after you left Berlin?

We exchanged a few messages in between, yes.

Volkan Bulut, Vedad Ibišević, Daniel Fischer and Dominik Wohlert all also worked at Hertha and are now your assistants (again). Did that make your start easier?

The existing team here is very good, Dominik was already part of it. The assistant coaches from Germany only arrived gradually because of their visas. But of course a constellation like this helps you, you know the processes among each other. But it is also important to incorporate the influences of what already exists here.

Vedad Ibišević (l.) already worked in Berlin alongside Sandro Schwarz (r.).Image: dpa / Soeren Stache

Is one of the four a candidate for a head coach position in the future? Your former club Hertha should definitely be looking for a new coach.

I already know what you’re getting at. (laughs) It will be crucial whether the respective assistant still sees himself in the role and what his own plans are. But of course it’s possible if one or the other can do it, if I’m old enough and can’t do it anymore. (laughs)

Will Hertha achieve promotion next season?

That’s not my topic. But of course I wish them the very best. But in the 2nd Bundesliga you can’t guarantee promotion, the league is too good and balanced for that.

Will Mainz manage to stay in the league this season?

I hope so! The last games show that the club knows how to deal with relegation battles and how to create the right atmosphere. That’s a big bargaining chip. And if it takes the detour of relegation, it’s no big deal.