Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch: “That was a really long way of saying no.” (Photo by Michael Lewis)

By Michael Lewis

Front Row Soccer Editor

HARRISON, N.J. — Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch says he was not offered a similar job at Red Bull Salzburg this past winter.

“There’s not really too much to say,” he said at Monday’s press conference at Red Bull Arena. “I’ll take it for flattery. I don’t know if it is or people wanting to sensationalize certain things in the media. I will say this: being part of this club and being part of the global brand has been a real privilege.

“I’ve learned from some really great people within the Red Bull global system, the different coaches that coach the clubs, the sporting directors and some of the older mentors that are within the club and helped me in many big ways and the support that they’ve given me is incredible and allowed me to do my job to the best of my abilities.

“That was a really long way of saying no.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.