It’s official, Red Bull Salzburg’s sporting director Christoph Freund will not be going to Chelsea.
The Blues had been widely reported to have appointed Freund as their new sporting directors. Todd Boehly, who is currently acting in an interim role, was expected to make the announcement.
This will not happen, however.
Salzburg owner Stephan Reiter said: “Christoph Freund has been doing excellent work for us for many years and only recently extended his contract until 2026. I am pleased to confirm that he will be the FC Red Bull Salzburg’s sporting director.
“Of course, he informed me about Chelsea FC’s interest in him and we exchanged ideas on a personal level and in good conversations. He will be our sporting director, it is a fact!
“We have not received any inquiries about a possible change.”
Freund said in a statement: “When a club like Chelseainterest in you, it’s a great honour, not only for you but for the club as a whole.
“But I’ve come to the conclusion that FC Red Bull Salzburg is the best place for me.”
“We’re in the middle of a very intense phase and have important tasks to do in the Bundesliga, Cup and Champions League – that’s what my whole focus and concentration are on.”
The Austrian outfit had a bit of fun with the news too, using the iconic ‘I’m not leaving’ scene from Hollywood movie The Wolf of Wall Street.
Warning: The video below may contain strong language that you might find offensive.
This will be a huge blow to Chelsea and Boehly. They must restart their search for a new sporting director.
Freund has been Salzburg’s sporting director since 2015 and has been credited with unearthing the likes of Erling Haaland, who was at the club between 2019-20.
Freund was a defense midfielder and never played in any other country than Austria as a player.
He joined the youth academy of Salzburg, where he was at for six years, which was a long time before Red Bull’s big money came in.
Freund became the sporting coordinator in 2012, before Ralf Rangnick succeeded him as sporting director. In 2015, Ralf Rangnick promoted Freund to oversee operations at Salzburg and RB Leipzig.
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