Danny Röhl spoke to the German media on multiple occasions last week, talking like a man who had already left Sheffield Wednesday and was ready for a job at a Champions League club.
It was no coincidence that one of the interviews was with RB Live, a news source specialising in RB Leipzig. They have a managerial vacancy and it’s abundantly clear that Danny Röhl wants to be considered for that.
That appeared to be at least part of the motivation for what he was saying and who he was saying it to.
When he was asked if a move to a Champions League would be too big a step up from Sheffield Wednesday this summer, the manager put his case forward: “If both sides are convinced that you’re the right coach, then there’s nothing wrong with taking the step to a Champions League club. I may have only been a head coach for just under two years, but I’ve been involved in football for a total of 16 years. As an assistant coach in Leipzig, Munich, and at the German Football Association (DFB), I’ve had the privilege of coaching great players, winning the Champions League, coaching at a World Cup, and experiencing a Premier League relegation battle with Southampton. That’s a package that gives me a lot of confidence that I’m ready for any challenge, as long as both sides are convinced of each other.”
Röhl also talked up himself returning to the Bundesliga generally and later suggested he has some sort of exit agreement with those in charge at Sheffield Wednesday, something which the club questioned.
It doesn’t appear as if Röhl’s public posturing has so far done enough to get RB Leipzig to push him further up their list. Kicker report the two current priorities for the club are Oliver Glasner and Cesc Fabregas.
However, there may be some hope.
Austrian sources have questioned whether Glasner would be keen to leave English football, and whether he’d like working in the Red Bull structure. Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas is reportedly the subject of interest from Bayer Leverkusen and could well prefer to join them if he leaves Como.
Then Röhl may have a chance, but he’s not being talked about much in the German media right now.
