"Jesse Marsch created respect" - RB Leipzig's Lukas Klostermann
RB Leipzig defender Lukas Klostermann has spoken of how incoming head coach Jesse Marsch created respect among the squad during his previous spell at the club.
The American tactician succeeds Bayern Munich-bound Julian Nagelsmann in the Leipzig hot seat as he joins from Red Bull Salzburg, but it isn't the 47-year-old's first time at Germany's Red Bull Arena.
The Wisconsin native was previously assistant to Ralf Rangnick for the 2018/19 season as Die Roten Bullen reached the final of the DFB Cup for the first time. He had earlier cut his teeth in Major League Soccer in charge of New York Red Bulls and moved to Germany as coach with the best win rate in the American club's history.
According to Klostermann, Marsch made an almost immediate impression on the squad.
"When he came three years ago, he learnt German in no time. That showed us he's keen on Leipzig and wants to contribute here," the 12-time Germany international told Bild. "That kind of thing creates respect."
It clearly also worked when the former USMNT midfielder was handed the reins at Salzburg, going on to claim the domestic double in both seasons in Austria and leaving with a win rate of 68 per cent.
"Having the team be successful in Leipzig and learning the rhythms of European football, learning more of the language, understanding exactly what the culture meant to the people there, prepared me really well," Marsch once said in an interview with Sky Sports. "It also gave people the sense that I was not just a random American who spoke no German and had no European experience coming to Salzburg."
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Klostermann also added: "He's an emotive coach. He knows how to motivate players, but he also brings his own ideas. He's very adaptable."
One of Marsch's motivational tactics came to light last time at Leipzig when he introduced a wheel of punishment to ensure players adhere to team rules, while also encouraging team spirit as well as discipline.
He now takes over a team that still has many familiar faces from two years ago but has been taken to another level - including a UEFA Champions League semi-final - by Nagelsmann. He'll walk back into the club in July with that respect further intensified by his success in Salzburg and the goal of taking Leipzig yet further.
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