Jesse Marsch has opened the door wide open to an approach from Celtic to replace Neil Lennon as manager.
The phrase ‘open the door’ can cover a variety of situations but when a coach currently in a job talks of being interested and an honour to be linked with an amazing club there is more substance than usual. Marsch currently manages RB Leipzig
Having sought out an interview with the BBC the American in charge of an Austrian football club knows what sort of impact his comments will have .
I’ve heard [about the links]. It’s an honour for me. Three or four years ago, being linked with a club like Celtic would literally be an impossibility for me. And now that this is where I am, I always just try to look at it in terms of, ‘what would the project look like?’
Would we have similar ideas in how to build it the right way, invest in the academy, invest in young players and create this development process that I’m talking about? And not just focus on winning. Obviously I know that when you’re the coach of Celtic, winning is the most important thing.
I know enough about it, to say of course it’s interesting. It’s an amazing club and it would be an honour to even be considered. But I also have a job to do here.
My way of working is really to focus in on the job that I’m doing and concentrate on the moment. And the more that I do that the more other possibilities can arise.
The 47-year-old was appointed manager of RB New York in 2014, enjoying four seasons in the MLS before graduating to RB Leipzig assistant for the 2018/19 season.
That led Marsche to the RB Salzburg job where he caught the eye of John Collins and others in a 4-3 Champions League defeat from Liverpool at Anfield.
Just over a year after leaving the MLS, Marsche earned seven points in his first experience of the Champions League, beating Genk home and away (aggregate 10-3) and earning a draw away to Napoli. A 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool in the final match ended their hopes of qualifying to the last 16.
This season they had a similar experience in the Champions League, finishing third in their group behind Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. In the Europa League they lost out to Villarreal in the last 32.
A place on the ladder with the RB network is obviously attractive but the right offer from Celtic is clearly of interest to a 47-year-old American.
Should Jesse Marsch be offered the Celtic job
Oh yes, in a heartbeat
No, he isn't qualified
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