Freund rejects Chelsea, his stay at Salzburg is confirmed

Christoph Freund will not join Chelsea.

Red Bull Salzburg has announced this Tuesday that their sporting director will not leave the club.

Freund recently extended his contract until June 30, 2026.

The Austrian was linked to Chelsea, as it was reported that an agreement was close between him and the London club.

The 45-year-old has confirmed the interest from “Blues”, as he has also shown the reason why he decided to stay in Salzburg.

“As I have already confirmed in interviews, Chelsea has been interested in hiring me. When a big club like that shows interest, it is an honor not only for me and the work of FC Red Bull Salzburg, it is also a situation that requires a number of personal considerations. I came to the conclusion that I am in the best place at FC Red Bull Salzburg, and a move was out of the question for me. We are in the middle of a really intense phase and we have big challenges ahead in the Austrian Bundesliga, the Cup and the Champions League – my full focus and concentration is on them now,” he told the club’s official website.

However, the chief executive of the club from the elite of Austrian football declared:

“Christoph Freund has done a wonderful job for us for many years, and only recently extended his contract until 2026. I can therefore confirm that he will remain sporting director of FC Red Bull Salzburg. He informed me of Chelsea’s interest, of course, and we’ve spoken about it on a personal level with some good discussions. The fact is that he will remain our sports director! He did not request to leave.”