On Wednesday, we covered an interview Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl had given to RB Live, a German website which obviously dedicates its coverage to RB Leipzig.
Him granting that interview in itself was something of an indication of how the chat would go. The manager talked about his appreciation for Sheffield Wednesday supporters, his frustration on how this season somewhat slipped away, and then dropped so many hints he fancies a move that it started to feel a little awkward.
At the end, Röhl presented a quote which looked like a come-and-get-me-plea to RB Leipzig, insisting he could make the step up from Championship to Champions League and underlining his experience before he became a senior manager himself.
Understandably, many Sheffield Wednesday fans were left a little annoyed. It’s one thing to want out, and nobody is really questioning valid motivation for Röhl to feel that way, but it’s quite another to go about things the way he appears to be doing. Repeat stories and links in the German media have looked like they’ve – at the very least – been encouraged by his camp and the direct quotes and I’m-For-Sale framing of it feel a little disrespectful.
This morning, we checked to see if there’d been any reaction, potentially from RB Leipzig, to Röhl’s interview. There hasn’t, not yet, and you’ll never believe this… he’s spoken again.
This time the 36-year-old has had a chat with a podcast associated with major German football magazine Kicker. It’s a long podcast and we’re working to get the full chat, but Kicker have already published some quotes on their website.
Speaking about the Championship generally, he said: “Since I’ve been here, there have been 26 manager changes.”
Kicker the state: ‘In October 2023, Hansi Flick’s long-time assistant, after stints at FC Bayern and the national team, took charge of a team for the first time, a “suicide mission,” as he recalls. Sheffield, newly promoted from the second division, were bottom of the table with three points after eleven games. But Röhl saw “the chance to win something” rather than “the chance to lose something.”‘
On his appreciation for Sheffield and the people within it, he again sent praise their way: “It’s one of the warmest cities I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. The people are football crazy. That fans, when they’re on the main street and see me, pull over, stop their car, jump out, and want to take photos – I wouldn’t have expected that as a young manager without such a great CV.”
Now here’s perhaps the crucial bit, Kicker report: ‘Röhl could continue working on this résumé elsewhere starting next season, as he has agreed with the club’s executives.’
That obviously presents the picture of the manager having already agreed with those in charge at Sheffield Wednesday that he can leave, which is perhaps why he’s talking like he already has.
The final quote in this Kicker article is: “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’d like to work at the highest possible level in the near future – with the best players. The Bundesliga is obviously a consideration.”
