Report: Oliver Mintzlaff shoots down talk of New York Red Bulls' interest in Bastian Schweinsteiger

It is not surprising to be told that the New York Red Bulls are not interested in rescuing Bastian Schweinsteiger from his nightmare at Manchester United. There was a time when RBNY might reliably be thought to be chasing any thirty-plus-year-old superstar soccer player with an interest in playing in America, but that time has passed.

It was a little surprising to see the news of RBNY's lack of interest in Schweinsteiger conveyed (exclusively to Bild) by Oliver Mintzlaff rather than Ali Curtis.

The latter is the New York club's Sporting Director, and roster-builder-in-chief. Fairly or not, Curtis gets the credit for any RBNY transfers that benefit the club, just as he is blamed for any that go wrong (few and far between at this point in Curtis' tenure with the team).

Mintzlaff is both the CEO of RB Leipzig and Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer. He is, in a way, both the Leipzig-based counterpart of Ali Curtis and his boss.

Mintzlaff was often at RBNY training last year, when the club was transitioning away from its traditional identity as an acquisitive hoarder of big-name talent to its current status as a more recognizable part of RB Soccer's global family. Indeed, he was still making regular visits to RBNY during the early stages of the current MLS season, and may be still.

Certainly, his comments to Bild suggest he is confident about the plans and activities of the New York branch of the Red Bull Global Soccer family. Regarding Schweinsteiger, Mintzlaff said simply:

There are no calls...he is not an issue with us

German media contacts Germany-based Red Bull executive makes perfect sense, of course. So too does the Red Bull Head of Global Soccer speaking on behalf of any one of the Red Bull Global Soccer clubs.

And RBNY didn't really belong in the ever-strengthening rumor of a Schweini move to MLS, so the important news is that we can put that idea to rest.