Jesse Marsch clearly has admirers in the Celtic support, but Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is another one.
Whilst there has been no confirmation that Celtic are interested in the Salzburg manager, it would appear silly not to try to make contact after he admitted his interest today [BBC].
Marsch secured the double in his first year as Salzburg manager and is on course for another league success this season. However, he’s perhaps best known for developing Borussia superstar Haaland.
The big Norwegian forward netted 28 goals in only six months under Marsch before leaving in a big-money deal for Dortmund. These days, he’s being touted for £150m moves to England [Daily Star]. Yet Haaland clearly hasn’t forgotten potential Celtic candidate Marsch.
Speaking to CBS Sports back in November on his former boss, Haaland said: “Jesse and I had a great relationship. We still talk on the phone sometimes. He was an amazing manager for me, and we had some great memories together.
“I am lucky to have gotten to know him as a coach, but also as a person. He was very good with me. As you saw, I was very happy on and off the pitch in Salzburg. Even though it was just six months, it was a good time. He is an amazing guy.”
Marsch is making incredible progress with RB Salzburg; Erling Haaland praise is justified
Yes, Haaland is a freak of nature when it comes to his footballing ability. You could argue that many managers could’ve been successful with him in his team. But Marsch clearly left an impact on the big Norwegian.
It’s not as if Haaland is an isolated example of a player developing then being sold on for major profit. Takumi Minamino signed for Liverpool back in the 2019 winter window for over £7m [Sky Sports]. Dominic Szoboszlai also moved to RB Leipzig for £18m just weeks ago [The Athletic].
He’s also managed back-to-back third-place finishes in the Champions League group stages with Salzburg despite being on a modest budget. Marsch’s ability to compete in Europe could be extremely enticing for the Celtic board.
After a breakthrough period back in his homeland with the New York Red Bulls, Marsch is finally making his name in Europe. He already has the backing of the Celtic supporters and BBC pundit James McFadden.
It’s clear his praise and admiration from Haaland is justified. It shows exactly the level of impact he leaves on his players, regardless of their quality.
Here’s hoping this is one Celtic make a move on.
In other news, we discuss the one appointment Celtic can’t afford to make after Jesse Marsch’s comments.
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