Latest news with #ThomasLetsch
The National
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
RB Salzburg talent Adam Daghim out to make his mark against Al Hilal at Club World Cup
Jurgen Klopp sat in the VIP seats, a special observer making his first appearance at an RB Salzburg home match since his appointment as Red Bull Football's head of global soccer. It's a job that prioritises talent development, at which Salzburg are the leaders in the group of clubs Klopp now oversees. Within barely half an hour of April's contest against Sturm Graz, Klopp was looking like the animated, engaged figure who used to patrol the touchlines at Liverpool and Dortmund. Here, in his new gig, he was enthusiastically applauding the game's opening goal. It had been scored by a teenager in whom Salzburg – who on Sunday take on Al Hilal aiming to take a firm step towards the knockout phase of the Club World Cup – have great hopes. Adam Daghim has startling speed, a booming left foot, a strong right foot, imposing height, impressive power in his duelling and evident confidence in his dribbling. 'He's 1.90m tall and left-footed, which is something everybody is searching for, all over the world, and his mentality is also a really big strength,' beams Thomas Letsch, the Salzburg head coach, fully aware that at this club, such talents are bound, sooner rather than later, to move on to grander leagues than Austria's. Daghim's prospects are many. Among those tracking the 19-year-old's progress are Italy's Atalanta. There is reported interest from English clubs. Choices may have to be made about his next destination as early as this summer. Beyond that, he will be confronted with a major decision about where he steers his international career – whether to represent, at senior level, his native Denmark for whom he has been capped at age-group levels, or to follow his elder brother Ahmed or his fellow Danish-Palestinian striker, Al Ahly's Wessam Abou Ali, in playing for Palestine, the land of his heritage. The Daghim brothers grew up in Copenhagen, where his parents had settled after moving from the Middle East. Ahmed, five years older than Adam, acted as a pathfinder for his brother into the upper tiers of youth football in Denmark. Both were natural wingers, both jet-heeled. 'When Adam was four or five, we could see he really had speed,' his father, Arafat, recalled to DAZN. He was soon a prodigious achiever, enrolled in the youth system of FC Copenhagen and, with the promise of accelerated progress to first-team football, he agreed to sign for Aarhus, AGF. He duly became the youngest player in the club's top-division history, at 16, when he made his Super Liga debut. At 17 he was clocking up minutes for AGF in Uefa competitions. Salzburg were by that stage – the summer of 2023 – in contact. And their offer to any up-and-coming footballer tends to be compelling. The club's tried-and-tested model since they came under the well-funded Red Bull umbrella has been to establish a streamlined worldwide scouting network with a high-rate of success for those whose elite potential it identifies. The diverse Salzburg squads reflect that global reach. The club's coaches like to promote young talent rapidly and, in many famous cases, to then wish them well in their path upwards when, still young, they join one of Europe's superclubs. A new recruit can aspire to play in the Uefa Champions League, too. It was RB Salzburg's consistent participation in the competition that earned them their ticket to the Club World Cup. Standards slipped for Salzburg in the 2024-25 Champions League, but for Daghim it marked another landmark. He struck an important goal in their pre-qualifying tie against Dynamo Kiev to ensure Salzburg would make the league phase; he scored his first goal in the Champions League proper, against Atletico Madrid, later in the season. The precedents he can look to are many and illustrious. Daghim cites two. 'When I knew Salzburg were interested, I saw Erling Haaland and Sadio Mane had played there,' he told DAZN. To that list of ex-Salzburg forwards can be added the likes of Benjamin Sesko, now coveted at RB Leipzig, Dominik Szoboszlai, of Liverpool, Noah Okafor of AC Milan or Munas Dabbur, the Nazareth-born striker whose later career took him to La Liga, the German Bundesliga and most recently to Shabab Al Ahli. And that's before you start to catalogue the players involved at the Club World Cup for whom a formative spell at Salzburg was a trampoline to major success in Europa's leading leagues; Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano and Konrad Laimer, Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi and Marcel Sabitzer and above all City's Haaland, who departed Austria aged 19, with 29 goals from his 27 games in Salzburg's colours. Daghim, who spent the first of his two seasons at Salzburg at their feeder club Liefering – he was only 18 then – is entitled to dream of following in those sorts of footsteps. Klopp likes what he sees. He's shown an effectiveness across positions in the attacking line, and a collective ethic. 'He will always work for the team, which is a really important part of our philosophy,' says Letsch. An event like the Club World Cup represents a showcase. Letsch insisted on Daghim's participation ahead of competing interest from Denmark in taking the forward to the European under-21 championship, which is being played simultaneously. Although the Salzburg coach chose to use Daghim as an impact substitute in the opening fixture against Pachuca of Mexico, he did so minded to keep him fresh for the collisions with Al Hilal and on Thursday against Real Madrid. Salzburg, a little unexpectedly, sit at the top of Group H thanks to the 2-1 win over Pachuca. The meeting with Al Hilal looks pivotal. The Saudi Arabian giants impressed in their matchday one draw with Madrid but will sense that Daghim and his young teammates have an upstart swagger about them – and some big dreams for the long-term future.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🌎 The Club World Cup guide to...Salzburg
Our guide to all 32 clubs participating at the FIFA Club World Cup continues. Today we're looking How did they qualify for the Club World Cup? 📸 Brennan Asplen - 2024 Getty Images Salzburg secured their berth at the Club World Cup in April 2024 via the UEFA ranking pathway after Bayern Munich knocked Arsenal out of the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League in the quarter-finals. Advertisement That result gave the Austrian club the 12th and final European spot at the Club World Cup, based on their performances in the Champions League over the previous four seasons. History at the Club World Cup This marks Salzburg's first appearance at the Club World Cup. Historically, Austrian clubs have not featured in the competition, which was previously limited to continental champions. How did they perform in the 2024/25 season? Salzburg finished the Austrian Bundesliga season in second place, two points behind eventual winners Sturm Graz. In the Champions League they took hammerings off Sparta Prague, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid and finished 34th out of 36 teams. Who is the coach? 📸 Denis Doyle - 2025 Getty Images Advertisement Thomas Letsch was appointed as Salzburg's head coach in December 2024, signing a contract until June 2027. The 56-year-old German has a rich history with the club, having previously coached their U16 and U18 teams. His managerial experience also includes stints at Austria Vienna, Vitesse Arnhem and Bochum. Who is their star player? 📸 Euan Cherry - 2024 Getty Images Joane Gadou, an 18-year-old centre-back, has emerged as one of Salzburg's standout players. His performances have attracted attention from top European clubs, including Bayern Munich, who are reportedly interested in bolstering their defence with the young talent. Gadou's composure, tactical awareness, and defensive prowess have made him a key figure despite his young age. Expected performance at the Club World Cup Drawn into a challenging group alongside Real Madrid, Al Hilal, and CF Pachuca, Salzburg face a formidable task in the group stages. Advertisement While progressing beyond the group stage will be challenging, Salzburg's dynamic style of play and emphasis on youth development could see them surprise more established teams 📸 Denis Doyle - 2025 Getty Images
CNA
13-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Back to the drawing board for Salzburg after CWC opponents change managers
RB Salzburg's performance analysis department began early preparations for the Austrian team's opponents in the Club World Cup but the fact all of their group rivals have changed coaches has added an element of uncertainty, said manager Thomas Letsch. Salzburg qualified for the revamped tournament in the United States based on UEFA club rankings, completing the list of 12 participating European teams. They are in Group H alongside Real Madrid, Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Mexico's Pachuca. Those three teams share several traits: all of them changed their manager before the tournament and have reached either the final of the old-format Club World Cup or Intercontinental Cup at least once. "Since all three opponents have changed their coaches not too long ago, we had to forget everything we had prepared about them," Letsch told Reuters. "For our analysis department, this was quite a challenge. In this sense, there is a bit of the unknown, even with Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso. "I am definitely curious to see how it will be, especially against clubs from Mexico and Saudi Arabia, against whom we have never played in any competition" he added. Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, while Simone Inzaghi began his spell with Al-Hilal following Inter Milan's heavy defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Meanwhile, Pachuca have appointed Jaime Lozano. German coach Letsch, 56, faced Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen three times in the Bundesliga with his former side Bochum. "I don't think these games have any significance for the duel at the Club World Cup," explained Letsch. Salzburg did not have much time to prepare as the domestic league ended on May 24. They face Pachuca on June 18. "For us, the very short break between the end of the championship and the preparation for the Club World Cup felt like an extended international break," said Letsch. "We were back together very quickly. But you could immediately feel that everyone was very excited about the tournament. "We started training again on Monday and already had a quite different team compared to the last time in the Austrian Bundesliga. "Actually, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly, and now we already have four new external signings and some young home-grown players. That's great and does us good. It's a kind of fresh start". FULLY DESERVED The European qualification rules for the tournament allow three Champions League winners from the past four years to qualify, along with the top-ranked teams. However, a maximum of two teams from each country can enter if no other winners come from that nation. This rule was the reason why Liverpool, ranked eighth in the UEFA rankings, did not qualify, as Chelsea and Manchester City had won the continental title in the last four years. That opened the way for Salzburg to enter the competition, which will feature 32 teams, despite being ranked 18th in Europe. Salzburg have a young squad to compete against Al-Hilal, the runners-up in the 2022 Club World Cup, Pachuca, who reached the Intercontinental final last year, and Real Madrid, who have won a record nine Intercontinental/Club World Cup titles. Salzburg face a difficult challenge to reach the Round of 16 and Letsch believes that "it is not easy to define specific goals" before the tournament. "Our goal is definitely to achieve maximum success. We are very excited about the (Club) World Cup and want to show our best side there so that everyone says that Salzburg rightly deserves to be there," he added. Salzburg are well-known for developing talented youngsters and then selling them to Europe's biggest clubs. It has been the starting point for players like Erling Haaland, Karim Adeyemi and Dominik Szoboszlai. Asked whether the Club World Cup is an opportunity for Austria's 17-times champion to showcase more players, Letsch said: "Salzburg is clearly committed to developing young players and giving them the opportunity to play at the highest possible level. "This is part of our DNA, and we want to showcase this at the Club World Cup. However, we must not make the mistake of just throwing any young players into the mix. It definitely requires a delicate touch".
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Back to the drawing board for Salzburg after CWC opponents change managers
June 13 (Reuters) - RB Salzburg's performance analysis department began early preparations for the Austrian team's opponents in the Club World Cup but the fact all of their group rivals have changed coaches has added an element of uncertainty, said manager Thomas Letsch. Salzburg qualified for the revamped tournament in the United States based on UEFA club rankings, completing the list of 12 participating European teams. They are in Group H alongside Real Madrid, Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Mexico's Pachuca. Those three teams share several traits: all of them changed their manager before the tournament and have reached either the final of the old-format Club World Cup or Intercontinental Cup at least once. "Since all three opponents have changed their coaches not too long ago, we had to forget everything we had prepared about them," Letsch told Reuters. "For our analysis department, this was quite a challenge. In this sense, there is a bit of the unknown, even with Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso. "I am definitely curious to see how it will be, especially against clubs from Mexico and Saudi Arabia, against whom we have never played in any competition" he added. Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, while Simone Inzaghi began his spell with Al-Hilal following Inter Milan's heavy defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final. Meanwhile, Pachuca have appointed Jaime Lozano. German coach Letsch, 56, faced Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen three times in the Bundesliga with his former side Bochum. "I don't think these games have any significance for the duel at the Club World Cup," explained Letsch. Salzburg did not have much time to prepare as the domestic league ended on May 24. They face Pachuca on June 18. "For us, the very short break between the end of the championship and the preparation for the Club World Cup felt like an extended international break," said Letsch. "We were back together very quickly. But you could immediately feel that everyone was very excited about the tournament. "We started training again on Monday and already had a quite different team compared to the last time in the Austrian Bundesliga. "Actually, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly, and now we already have four new external signings and some young home-grown players. That's great and does us good. It's a kind of fresh start". The European qualification rules for the tournament allow three Champions League winners from the past four years to qualify, along with the top-ranked teams. However, a maximum of two teams from each country can enter if no other winners come from that nation. This rule was the reason why Liverpool, ranked eighth in the UEFA rankings, did not qualify, as Chelsea and Manchester City had won the continental title in the last four years. That opened the way for Salzburg to enter the competition, which will feature 32 teams, despite being ranked 18th in Europe. Salzburg have a young squad to compete against Al-Hilal, the runners-up in the 2022 Club World Cup, Pachuca, who reached the Intercontinental final last year, and Real Madrid, who have won a record nine Intercontinental/Club World Cup titles. Salzburg face a difficult challenge to reach the Round of 16 and Letsch believes that "it is not easy to define specific goals" before the tournament. "Our goal is definitely to achieve maximum success. We are very excited about the (Club) World Cup and want to show our best side there so that everyone says that Salzburg rightly deserves to be there," he added. Salzburg are well-known for developing talented youngsters and then selling them to Europe's biggest clubs. It has been the starting point for players like Erling Haaland, Karim Adeyemi and Dominik Szoboszlai. Asked whether the Club World Cup is an opportunity for Austria's 17-times champion to showcase more players, Letsch said: "Salzburg is clearly committed to developing young players and giving them the opportunity to play at the highest possible level. "This is part of our DNA, and we want to showcase this at the Club World Cup. However, we must not make the mistake of just throwing any young players into the mix. It definitely requires a delicate touch".
