Who is Aberdeen managerial candidate Schwarz?

After all the noise around Eirik Horneland potentially becoming Aberdeen's new manager, the trail went cold until a new candidate emerged this week.

Chairman Dave Cormack confirmed former Mainz and New York Red Bulls boss Sandro Schwarz is in the city for talks with the club over the vacancy.

So what would Aberdeen be getting in the 47-year-old German?

Schwarz is a friend and former Mainz team-mate of Jurgen Klopp and favours the same high-intensity, counter-pressing style his compatriot deployed to impressive effect at Liverpool.

Schwarz had instant success in his first permanent managerial job, leading FC Eschborn to promotion to Germany's fourth tier before returning in 2013 to boyhood club Mainz.

After four years in charge of the Under-19s and latterly reserves, Schwarz was appointed Mainz manager in 2017 and kept the club in the Bundesliga with 12th and 14th-place finishes in his two full seasons.

"Schwarz was a very good fit at the time," says Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae.

Writing on X, Rae added: "Clear playing style: Gegenpressing, high energy but still with possession elements. Identified with the club and fans and showed his emotional side. Good with younger players.

"When you last two years in a Bundesliga job now, you're doing something right. It's well above average in what is a top league."

Schwarz departed in November 2019 with Mainz in the relegation zone, but he was back in work less than a year later at Russian side Dynamo Moscow, where he won 31 of his 57 matches for a win rate of 54% and a points per game of 1.8.

He steered Dynamo to a first top-three finish in 14 years and the Russian Cup final, where they lost to Spartak Moscow on penalties in his last game at the helm.

Then it was back to Germany to manage Hertha Berlin but he lasted just eight months and lost 16 of his 29 matches (17% win rate). Schwarz was sacked with six games of the season left before Hertha slipped to relegation.

"There aren't many BSC fans would would lay the blame at his door," Rae said.

"The club was in a bad way off the pitch the year before and stayed up in the relegation play-off. Since their 2023 demotion, no one has got them particularly close to promotion."

Schwarz didn't have long to wait until his next job, taking charge of New York Red Bulls in December 2023.

During his two years in the MLS, Schwarz won 28 and lost 26 of 81 games (a win rate of just over 30%) and led the club to just their second MLS Cup final in his first season before missing out on the play-offs the following campaign.

But Rae thinks the links to Schwarz can only be a positive thing for the Dons.

"This is a very experienced Bundesliga, Gegenpressing coach who you would not normally expect to consider Aberdeen," he added.

"Similarly Aberdeen might have felt in the past an appointment like this would be too ambitious."