That didn't take long.
Less than 24 hours after suffering playoff elimination at the hands of D.C. United in an unforgettable Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night, the New York Red Bulls are already ringing in the changes.
First, the club announced that manager Hans Backe and assistant Jan Halvor Halvorsen will not be returning when their contracts expire at the end of the year. Assistant Mike Petke will take over as interim manager.
“We want to thank Hans for his work over the past three years and wish him the best of luck in the future,” said global sporting director of Red Bull Soccer Gérard Houllier in a club statement.
Houllier also announced that former Scotland national team manager Andy Roxburgh was appointed as the new sporting director of the club following a long career as technical director at UEFA.
"I am excited and honored to be given the opportunity by Dietrich Mateschitz to contribute to the development of such an outstanding soccer organization, as the New York Red Bulls," Roxburgh said in a club statement.
The Scotsman's first task at hand will be to begin the search for a new manager with the MLS SuperDraft and MLS Player Combine looming in early January.
