#Red Bulls break the bank for new head coach Gerhard Struber

The Red Bulls just paid one of the biggest fees in their history — not for a player, but for a coach.

The team announced Tuesday it has hired Gerhard Struber as its newest head coach, replacing the fired Chris Armas and interim Bradley Carnell. Struber was handed a three-year contract, according to Sky Sport Austria, and the Red Bulls paid a reported $2.3 million buyout to English Championship club Barnsley, which the 43-year-old Austrian had saved from sure relegation.

According to European reports, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz — worth an estimated $14.6 billion — got involved in the negotiations and financing of fee to bring Struber back into the Red Bulls soccer network.

“Gerhard is a bright coach, and we’re very pleased to welcome him to the club,” Head of Sport Kevin Thelwell said. “Gerhard’s playing style and experience in youth development align with our philosophy and above all, as a person he fits into our culture. We look forward to him getting here and working together to achieve the goals we have set as a club.”

Struber’s playing style fits into the Red Bulls’ high press. It’s unclear how long Carnell will stay, but with the regular-season finale Nov. 8 — and Struber potentially needing 10 days for a visa and another 10 for a quarantine — the Austrian won’t have much time to coach his new team this year, if at all.

“I am looking forward to getting to know my new team, hopefully very soon.” Struber said. “We want to pursue very ambitious goals together and develop steadily. The challenge of working in MLS makes me proud and gives me massive motivation for a big opportunity.”

Struber ended his playing career with Red Bull Salzburg in 2008, and began coaching there as well. He spent a decade building a reputation for developing young talent in the Red Bull Academy, winning a UEFA Youth League Championship and moving up to assistant coach in July 2015.

Two years later, Struber got his first head coaching job at Austrian second division side FC Liefering, a Red Bull feeder club. Then he guided Wolfsberger to a third-place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga and impressive UEFA Europa League results that attracted attention in England.

Struber was hired by woebegone Barnsley on Nov. 20, inheriting a team that was last in the league with just a single victory in 16 games. But he turned them around with 11 wins, seven draws and 12 losses. They were even better after the COVID-19 restart, with four wins, three ties and two defeats — enough to finish a point clear of relegation.

Red Bulls fans, still scarred after seeing Jesse Marsch quit midseason for RB Leipzig, may fret over Struber having stayed just a combined 60 games at his past two stops. But he complained about a lack of ambition from both ownerships. Red Bulls fans disgruntled over their team’s frugality can only hope this move signifies a statement of intent.