Markus Schopp appointed Barnsley new manager

Schopp

has signed a three-year deal to take over

Valerien Ismael

, who has taken over at

after leading the Sky Bet Championship club to fifth place last season.

The 47-year-old has decided to join the Reds following a fantastic season at Austrian Bundesliga side

.

Schopp

guided the Austrian outfit to a seventh-placed finish last season and recently extended his contract, but that did not stop him from moving to the Championship club.

"It's great to come to a country where football is so big, so traditional, especially in South Yorkshire,"

Schopp said

.

"There are so many clubs and they are so famous and Barnsley, for me, is one of those teams. I will help Barnsley get to where they have been in the last year, I will do everything for that.

"I appreciate this opportunity a lot and I look forward to getting to work, meeting the team and coaching staff and seeing the supporters back in the stadium soon."

Schopp was the former coach of

Sturm Graz

's second team and had a spell as first-team interim coach in 2013. He worked as an assistant and analyst at

St Polten

before moving to

Hartberg

in 2018.

During his playing career, the midfielder played for

Red Bull Salzburg

,

Sturm Graz

,

Hamburger SV

,

Brescia Calcio

, and

New York Red Bulls

.

Barnsley co-chairman

Paul Conway

said:

"We are very excited that Markus has signed with Barnsley and will continue the growth of our football club.

"He has had a remarkable career as a player and has been phenomenal growing Hartberg in the Austrian Bundesliga on a small budget. I am sure all in the town of Barnsley and our 11,000 seasonal members can't wait for the season to start."

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