New York Red Bulls add Sebastian Friedl as assistant coach

The New York Red Bulls’ sporting infrastructure continues to grow.

According to Spielvereinigung Unterhaching, youth manager Sebastian Friedl is joining Gerhard Struber’s coaching staff. After competing in the academy of the now-third division club, the 30-year-old German moved into coaching in 2012. He possesses an A License and a master’s degree in sport science.

“After eight-and-a-half years at the club, the time has come to say goodbye and take on the challenge in [New York],” Friedl shared with the club’s official website. “I would like to thank [Unterhaching] for the beautiful and eventful time in Haching… I wish the club the best and I will always be a Hachinger.”

The start of his coaching career was with the Unterhaching youth teams, including the U-14s. Friedl was promoted to the senior team in 2016 and took over the U-19s in August of 2020. Under his brief leadership, the top academy side reached first place in the regional second-tier A-Junioren Bayernliga Süd, with four wins and one loss.

Friedl fits the profile of recent hires to the staff. He’s young and committed to coaching at an early age instead of a playing career. Similar to Bernd Eibler, the Munich native has a background as a video analyst, serving in the role for Unterhaching’s senior team.

The Red Bulls’ newest assistant also has a background in the more academic side of the game. He helped run annual “instructive advanced training” sessions at the German club, with his 2019 presentation titled “Defending in the first third after an opponent’s breakthrough from the outside.” The subject is undoubtedly of interest to any gegenpressing team. Bund Deutscher Fussball-Lehrer described him as possessing a “high level of technical and professional competence.”

While the ongoing false starts in the transfer market have been highly publicized, the Red Bulls are delivering on the promise to provide resources for Gerhard Struber. He has already been granted a larger technical staff than any manager in recent memory, composed of assistants fitting his specific needs. The push for sport science and video analysis is a cornerstone of ownership’s fabled ethos, especially when performed by youthful outliers.