With a blank slate and fresh start members of the media all gathered at the newly named Sports Illustrated Stadium to interact with members of the franchise.
As information was gathered and interviews went underway, then everyone all gathered to get the thoughts from Head Coach Sandro Schwarz and one of the newest members of the Red Bulls Franchise in Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
It was during the course of the 2024 Season, right in the middle of the Red Bulls incredible MLS Cup Run that the waves of Choupo-Moting coming to the US from Germany started to make waves, and from there, the hype and chemistry between he and his teammates are starting to form.
Choupo-Moting is with the rest of the squad now and having to combine learning the MLS System, along with bringing his leadership and quality to the team, which is something that he spoke about in-depth during the course of the media day.
First the versatile forward was given a warm welcome to the area, before sitting in front of the media and that is when the Question and Answer session began.
After playing with one of the most iconic clubs in all of Germany in Bayern Munich, bringing the following stats to an already incredible Red Bull Roster.
In his time with Bayern Munich, Choupo-Moting had 457 first-team apperances, winning 10 trophies between his time with Bayern and PSG, as he was a huge part of the UEFA Champions League.
He is going to be bringing that experience as well familiarities with his teammate Emil Forsberg to the New York/New Jersey Area.
Starting off Eric reflected on the experiences he can bring from Germany to the Red Bulls by saying, “I am happy to be here. I learned a lot in my years overseas and I hope to help those folks here. I hope to help with my quality. One player can make a difference but you need a team. The first weeks were amazing. I am looking forward to the start of the season.”
Being a part of the Red Bulls and the MLS is going to be a new challenge for Chupo-Moting and he shared these thoughts when it came time for making the move to the New York/New Jersey area, “Combination playing for the Red Bulls and playing in New York. NYC Is a great city. I’ve never gotten to know the US very well. I played in some great countries and wanted to see something new and special and that is the case. When this popped up i was very interested I played all of my career in Germany and the best team in Germany for four years.” He continued by saying, “I wanted something special, I get a new country, culture and league. It is going to be a great experience for me.”
Something that is going to be familar for the forward is the fact that he is going from a passionate fan base in Germany to one to the followers and supporters of the Red Bulls and he had this message to the fans during the course of the Media Day session, “I am happy and excited to be here. The priority is the team performance. I am going to try to score and assist and help with winning the games. I am happy to be here and looking forward to the first few games of the season.”
Also interacting with the Media is Head Coach Sandro Schwarz after leading the team to the 2024 MLS Cup Finals and creating moments and memories that are getting fans hyped up for the 2025 Season.
Coach Schwarz had this to say when it came time to creating special moments once again with the upcoming season, “We had a staff meeting with the guys. The reason why we are here and hard working every day on and off the field. Is to create moments . This is the reason why we do this and have these emotions together. To win in the Hudson River Darby is special and also against Columbus. To create support and feeling is important. It is great to be able to see Happy Faces and to be able to create those happy spaces.”
The start of the 2025 MLS season is quickly approaching as things kick off in exciting fashion as they take on FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the New York Red Bulls fans are encouraged to click on the link below: