Former New York Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber has found his next club within the Red Bull system at Austrian Bundesliga giants Red Bull Salzburg.
Struber, a native of Austria, was in charge of MLS’ Red Bulls from December 2020 to May 2023 and didn’t get the results needed for a club as big as New York, prompting the front office to make a change. In all competitions in New York, Struber coached 33 wins, 23 draws, and 31 losses.
Red Bulls finished seventh in 2021, his first season with the club, and climbed to a fourth place finish in 2022. But results veered off a cliff in 2023, with his side becoming basement dwellers in the Eastern Conference (Red Bulls are now in 11th place with 26 points after Troy Lesesne took over).
The poor results on the field weren’t the only reason for his firing, though. During Red Bulls 1-1 draw against San Jose Earthquakes in mid-April, New York forward Dante Vanzeir made a racist remark to Jeremy Ebobisse (he eventually was suspended for six MLS games and fined an undisclosed amount) and Struber didn’t substitute Vanzier off until near the end of the game.
However, Struber is looking to start a new chapter in his coaching career as he returns back to Austria where he Wolfsberger AC for in a brief stint in 2019.
“I am really pleased to have this opportunity, which is definitely the highlight of my career in coaching so far,” Struber said. “As I have worked for several years in various positions in the academy, at FC Liefering and at FC Red Bull Salzburg, it is a kind of homecoming for me.”
The 46-year-old takes over after Matthias Jassle left for Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli, which came as a shock given that the Austrian Bundesliga kicked off on July 28.
“The challenge of working for FC Red Bull Salzburg is a huge one. We therefore need to give our absolute all right from my first training session, tomorrow.”
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