EPL 2016/17: RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl confirms Arsenal interest
The manager of shock Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig, Ralph Hasenhuttl has confirmed that he has been contacted over possibly replacing Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager, once the veteran Frenchman’s contract expires in July. Wenger has still not signed a new contract at Arsenal and there are speculations that he could end his 20-year reign at the club.
At a press conference where he was asked about the reports linking him with the job at The Emirates, Hasenhuttl said, “It is a well-researched story. There is a lot of truth to it.”
Leipzig’s has been a fairytale story this season, as they top the Bundesliga after 12 games, against all odds. They are the only top-flight team from East Germany, and the two parts of Germany are very different and despite the scenario having changed a lot over the years, there is still lasting animosity between the two sides.
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Hasenhuttl, though, is keeping his cards close to his chest. “I have heard of worse fates than succeeding the longest-serving manager in England. It’s not damaging my reputation, is it? We don’t have to put too much thought into it,” he added. “I have found my luck here.”
Focus is on the next game
Right now, the Leipzig boss is only focusing on how his team can pick up points against Schalke, as the two sides meet on Saturday. The leaders have gone 12 games unbeaten at the start of the season, a feat that no newly promoted club has ever managed in Bundesliga history.
Hasenhuttl said, “Schalke are on a roll and they look extremely stable, everything will matter in this match. We have to bring everything to the pitch otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to land three points."
Leipzig have got four wins and a draw from their five games at home so far. They have got 17 points out of a possible 21 from their away games.
Bayern still favourites, insists Hassenhuttl
The Red Bull-owned club could go into the game in second place if Bayern Munich beat Mainz in their game tonight. But Hasenhuttl isn’t fussed about that. He said, “Bayern are favourites to win the league, that will not change.”
Leipzig are a controversial club, with Red Bull’s ownership being a huge bone of contention. The regulations stipulate that all German clubs have 51% public ownership but that has been bypassed by Red Bull and Leipzig. It is alleged that the move is to ensure that the fans don’t come close to the running of the club, thereby preventing them from having a say in the day-to-day affairs. The spending in the summer transfer window has also been a huge source of anger among fans of other clubs.
But, for the fans, it does not matter. Leipzig have not had a team in the top-flight for 22 years, and now they have a club on top of the league. At the head of that charge has been the former Ingolstadt boss, Ralph Hasenhuttl. For now, the Austrian is happy where he is but it remains to be seen whether the lure of the Arsenal job is tempting enough or not.
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