Marcel Shafer, Managing Director of Sport at RB Leipzig
Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig had a busy summer transfer window that saw them active in the sale and purchase of multiple players. The club let some of its finest players, including Benjamin Sesko, Xavi Simons, and Lois Openda, leave in big-money deals. The club also brought in capable replacements for the departed players, especially with the money they fetched for Xavi and Sesko. However, Openda's case was quite unique, considering he only joined Juventus on a loan move.
Speaking to NDTV in a media conference, the club's Managing Director of Sport, Marcel Schafer, called Openda's transfer to Juventus a "win-win situation" for all three parties.
"We always make our decisions on two factors, and these are sporting-wise and economic-wise. If we can create a win-win situation like we did, it means that, sporting-wise, we need a good replacement. After two years with Lois Openda, we signed Benjamin Sesko," Schafer said.
Schafer, a former German international, hinted that the move materialized as Openda had expressed his desire to join Juventus, one of the top Serie A clubs. Hence, Leipzig tried to create a situation that benefited all parties.
"That was quite a good transfer to Juventus, and it's a good transfer in because even Benjamin is the same as with Jean-Kévin Augustin. He's young, he's hungry, he's high potential. He already made a step out of Denmark to Portugal," he explained.
"Behind Yussuf Poulsen, for Benjamin, it was maybe a little bit difficult, but even his statistics and his numbers were impressive for his age. So if we can create win-win situations, we always try to confirm our philosophy, and that was a good example and a successful story for everyone. Because in two years he scored so many goals, he was part of a successful story in two years."
The RB Leipzig Managing Director of Sport was also asked about the club's recent transfer business that saw them sell high-profile players, mostly to the Premier League, and bring in younger talent with big potential.
A similar trend has also been seen throughout the Bundesliga, making many question the league's ability to compete against other top leagues and clubs in Europe. While Schafer admitted that the Bundesliga is losing its top talent every year, he feels the league is still among the strongest in Europe.
"Of course, everyone, or we as a league and every club, tries to increase all the revenues, sportive-wise, economic-wise, commercial-wise. What we definitely have to do is to improve our academy level, to improve our own work in our academies, to improve the level, to increase the numbers of young players who make their way to the first teams.
"But on the other hand, if you see the last couple of years, we had a Champions League winner, we had a European League winner. So I think we are not on a bad way. I think we are really competitive, even though other countries, especially England, have way more economic power.
"So I think we are on a good way. Even if we lost maybe the best players every single year, we are still competitive, in my opinion," he concluded.
RB Leipzig Football