Red Bulls making head of sport change earlier than expected

The Red Bulls had always planned for Jochen Schneider to pass the baton as head of sport to Julian de Guzman, but the club hadn’t planned for it to come until after the 2026 season. 

That was until Schneider’s wife, Annabella, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in mid-September and expedited plans by the Red Bulls to elevate de Guzman to the role, it was revealed during a news conference at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Tuesday.

The club had announced on Monday that Schneider was leaving his post, along with word that head coach Sandro Schwarz would not be back. 

Red Bulls Head of Sport Jochen Schneider addresses the media during a press conference at Red Bull Arena on Feb. 2, 2024 in Harrison, N.J. Getty Images

“There’s only one solution in what to do in a situation like this, and that’s why I had to make the decision to leave the club, and to go back to Germany to look after my wife and our three wonderful children,” Schneider said, appearing to try to contain his composure. “This is the most important now for me.”

Schneider spoke glowingly of the future of the organization with de Guzman taking the helm as head of sport, describing him as “a great leader on and off the pitch.” 

The Red Bulls will need that as they head into an offseason with plenty of questions to answer after failing to make the postseason for the first time in 15 years, and dismissing their head coach, who had just taken the club to the MLS Cup Final a year ago.

But de Guzman seemed firm in setting the expectations that changes are coming to the club. 

“There will be a different look, for sure, not just from a coaching standpoint, but from the player roster planning,” de Guzman said. “It’s going to be a different look where it has to fit the philosophy and playing style that I want to see going into next season. It’s not the old school Red Bulls that we’ve been used to seeing for many years. … We could add more flavor, we could add more style, we could add more creativity, especially attack, and not so much dependent on just two [designated players] to convert goals for us. I think there’s a lot more we could add to the roster.”

De Guzman’s vision, as he described it for next season, is a “high intensity, energetic team” that plays “fun football,” pointing to the success of Red Bull II, the club’s developmental squad that is competing in the MLS Next Pro playoffs, which he has overseen as sporting director. 

Julian de Guzman (left) is taking over as the Red Bulls’ head of sport. Red Bulls/YouTube

The Red Bulls are planning on bringing in a third designated player for next season, and the club has already been in the midst of identifying a player to join the fold. One name that likely won’t pop up during conversations is German footballer Timo Werner, who was linked to the Red Bulls in two previous transfer windows. 

During Tuesday’s press conference, de Guzman hinted that the RB Leipzig forward would not have made sense for the club. 

The first big part of implementing de Guzman’s vision for the club is finding its next head coach. De Guzman said that the “starting point” for what they’re looking for in the next coach is someone who “has a very good understanding of the MLS.” 

“We want to turn this chapter into connecting this club, the New York Red Bulls, to the culture here in the U.S.,” he said.