Sleepless nights pay off for Danny Röhl as Sheffield Wednesday survival measures up to Bayern Munich treble

As assistant manager to Hansi Flick, a 31-year-old Danny Röhl was a mastermind of the 2019/20 Bayern Munich side that won the Champions League to seal a remarkable treble, breezing through 19 wins in their final 20 Bundesliga matches to take the title by 13 points in a 34-match season.

He told The Star last month that as the main man at Sheffield Wednesday, in his first managerial job, taking over a side in the position they were in, the securing of the Owls’ second tier status would outstrip anything he had achieved previously.

Asked how the feeling compared in the moments after celebrating their survival at The Stadium of Light over the weekend, an emotionally exhausted Röhl shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“It’s different,” he said. “I said on Saturday morning to the players that it was a final - and you go into a final to win. They showed the attitude I wanted to see. For it is the biggest achievement I have had. As an assistant coach you are still part of a team and you help, but here the final responsibility for everything, it is different.

“As the assistant manager you can sleep better! The final decision is always for the manager. I feel it, but I have enjoyed it also, a big, big challenge. Today I feel that the last six months cost a lot of energy.”

Röhl has a break planned ahead of what promises to be a busy summer for the club. Speculation continues over his future after he maintained over weeks of interviews that he requires assurances with regard to the future direction of the club, with meetings to take place with club hierarchy.

“Today, to describe all the feelings is difficult,” he said. “I think maybe when I go next week to my holiday I will sit there and think about the journey and the achievement. It’s a result for everybody in the club and off the pitch, hopefully my staff can enjoy it because they deserve it so much.”