The Red Bulls signed Frank Rost this summer, and can pick up a club option on the German goalkeeper next year. GM Erik Soler had told the Post last week that Rost was enjoying his time here and that he’d do everything he could to bring the Bundesliga vet back. Today, Rost said his focus was on salvaging 2011 before he starts worrying about 2012.
“The thing is I come back to the team, I practice with the team and hopefully we win some matches in the last eight matches and hopefully we reach the playoffs. Then we can decide. We have time, no question,’’ said Rost, who labeled his time here as “fun,’’ except for the injury. But he was noncommittal.
“This is a difficult question. It all depends on the victory, on the matches if we reach the playoffs, ja? That is important for the season, these last eight matches. We’ll play them so everything can happen. I like it here, I want to play well. That is the only thing that I can do now.’’
Last week, Soler had said he’d try to keep the 38-year-old Rost with Red Bull for next season.
“Oh, he loves it here. It is a team option, and all I can say is Frank is a great guy and he really loves it here,’’ Soler told the Post. “My personal view on it is I will try what I can to keep him for next year, and parallel with that we need to figure out who is going to be the goalkeeper that will pick up the glow after him, so he can learn out of his experience and personally I think he’s a great keeper.’’
Apparently great enough to be a Designated Player, in Soler’s eyes.
“We’ll look into what we can do and how we can do him. We’d like to keep him, he wants to stay; now we’ll see how we can work it out and if we can have him here as one or the other,’’ said Soler, clear that being able to move Rost out of the Designated Player spot was not a deal-breaker.
“No. we hope we can work it out so he can be here regardless. He’s not here to make money, to put it that way. He’s here to enjoy his game and he’s been a very sensible player. He could’ve played other places. He makes good money here as well.’’
