Markus Schopp issues first words to Barnsley fans following Oakwell appointment | OneFootball

Markus Schopp has delivered his first message to Barnsley supporters after being appointed as new Head Coach yesterday.

The Tykes were on the lookout for a new manager following Valerien Ismael’s decision to leave for West Brom last week.

The club turned to Schopp, who had been in charge of TSV Hartberg for three years and led the club to a seventh-placed finish in the Austrian Bundesliga last season.

Schopp made 56 appearances for Austria as a player, and also played for the likes of Sturm Graz, Brescia and Red Bull Salzburg.

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In management, he’s taken charge of Sturm Graz II, before moving to Hartberg in 2018.

His job will now be to pick up the pieces after Barnsley narrowly missed out on promotion via the play-offs last season.

Barnsley have now posted a video on Twitter of Schopp delivering his first words to fans. He said: “I look forward to start working with the team.

“It’s a great honour to be here. There is so much tradition in England, and it’s good to be part of it. I will do my best to get us to where we want to be.”

The Verdict

This feels very much like a classic Barnsley appointment.

The club have an interest in Austrian football, and went down a similar route when appointing Gerhard Struber as their new coach.

It’s always hard to predict how a foreign coach will get on, but if they can find a gem like Ismael, then you wouldn’t put it past them again.

Schopp has a decent amount of experience as a manager, but the Championship is a tough nut to crack and a little bit of patience may be required.