RB Salzburg director Christoph Freund will be staying at the club instead of joining Chelsea, he has confirmed:
"As I have already confirmed in interviews, Chelsea FC was interested in me. When such a big club asks, it not only honours me and the work of FC Red Bull Salzburg, it is of course also a fact which entails personal considerations.
"But I've come to the conclusion that FC Red Bull Salzburg is the best place for me and that a change is out of the question for me.
"We're in the middle of a very intense phase and have important tasks to do in the Bundesliga, Cup and Champions League – that's what my whole focus and concentration are on."
It's a devastating blow for Chelsea as things seemed to be moving in the right direction in terms of talks between the two parties but Freund has made a sudden U-turn to stay at Salzburg. It seems the Blues will have to look elsewhere for their new sporting director.
