German takes over

Official: Red Bull Salzburg sacks Struber!

Gerhard Struber has to pack his bags.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

What the "Krone" had already reported on Sunday evening is now official: Gerhard Struber has retired as head coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg. As the club announced in a press release on Monday, the Austrian champions and the 47-year-old will go their separate ways from now on. Liefering coach Onur Cinel will take over with immediate effect until the end of the season.

After ten championship titles in a row, the Bulls have to tremble much more for the championship plate this year than in previous years. With 32 points each, Salzburg are in a neck-and-neck race with Sturm Graz.

A title-less year?
The 1:1 against SK Rapid was followed by a 1:3 defeat against LASK on Friday. The team from Mozart's city also finished last in their group in the Champions League, while Christian Ilzer's side were knocked out of the ÖFB Cup in the semi-finals.

The barrel overflowed, Red Bull pulled the ripcord and parted ways with Struber with immediate effect. The former New York coach only took over from Matthias Jaissle last summer and now, after 34 games (20 wins, six draws and eight defeats) with the Bulls, the Salzburg native has to look for a new job offer.

Gerhard Struber has to pack his bags.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Salzburg's sporting director Bernhard Seonbuchner

(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Gintare Karpaviciute)

"After the development of the last few games and a thorough analysis of the sporting situation, we have come to the conclusion that we need to give the team a new impetus for the championship finish," said sporting director Bernhard Seonbuchner, explaining the decision. "We are putting all our focus and concentration on staying at the top of the table and bringing the Bundesliga championship title back to Salzburg." However, without Struber ...

"Emotional time"
"Of course I'm disappointed, especially as everyone knows how special this job in Salzburg was for me. We had to deal with an extraordinary number of challenges this season: after losing a number of key players, we started with an extremely young squad and key players kept getting injured right up to the end. But of course, as coach, I take responsibility for the recent negative results," said Struber on his departure. "It was an emotional time in which we were also able to experience many wonderful moments. I wish FC Red Bull Salzburg and its fans nothing but the best!"

Onur Cinel takes over until the end of the season.

(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

The training session on Tuesday will already be led by Onur Cinel. "After the request from FC Red Bull Salzburg, it was immediately clear to me that I wanted to support the team, so I am very grateful for the trust placed in me. Now I'm looking forward to getting to know the players and staff better and being on the pitch with them," said the 38-year-old German, who is looking forward to the new chapter in his career. He will take his place on the Bulls' bench for the last six games of the season, but a decision beyond that has not yet been made.

Of course I'm disappointed, especially as everyone knows how special this job in Salzburg was for me.

Gerhard Struber

Bild: Andreas Tröster

"We have to form a strong unit"
"We have to form a strong unit within a very short space of time and we need the highest possible level in every training session and in every game so that we can achieve the club's goal," says the new coach, focusing on the present. How well the unit holds together will be shown for the first time next Sunday when SK Austria Klagenfurt visit Wals-Siezenheim.