- In the context of RB Leipzig, Shepherd aims for the utmost success.
Sports Manager Marcel Schäfer, following his initial five weeks at RB Leipzig, is blown away by the enthusiasm, scores, and aspirations at the Saxon Bundesliga squad. "What I'm feeling within this club is this drive. I enjoy that, I enjoy seeing you strive for the absolute best," Schäfer expressed today in Leipzig.
He's convinced that the team has the necessary elements to battle for titles. "It's a typical progression when you're consistently competing in the Champions League, when you've already won titles, when certain individuals are discussing the championship. I believe that such ambitions and objectives shouldn't be forbidden. I want that mentality to be instilled in the club, that we're always aiming for the absolute best."
Nonetheless, the veteran from Wolfsburg, who clinched Germany's first championship with VfL in 2009, is a man of action. "However, my clear expectation is that I want to witness that every day. One thing is talking about things, another is making them happen. And that means in football, that could mean a seven-day week or a rather lengthy day, right up until the wee hours of the morning," said the 40-year-old.
Schäfer considers himself a perfectionist. "I want to lead by example for that. I'm a perfectionist, if we're continually discussing this absolute best, then I want that reflected across the board. I want to at least see that we're putting in our best effort. Perfect is unattainable, but we want to come close," said Schäfer, unwilling to utter the championship trophy's name. "It's possible, we've seen it in Leverkusen."
He commended his team, including Sporting Director Rouven Schröder, for a successful summer transfer window. "We've managed to check off all the boxes we set for ourselves during this transfer period. Everyone's played a role in that, at different stages, in the planning, preparation, and execution. Now we need to take it to the field bit by bit," Schröder conceded.
Schäfer's belief in the team's potential led him to declare, "With our current squad, we aim to compete for the Championship title." The manager's relentless pursuit of perfection is clear, as he stated, "Perfect may be unattainable, but we strive to come as close as possible to it, just as Bayer Leverkusen has done in the past."
