Romano Schmid

CountryAustria ClubRed Bull Salzburg PositionMidfielder Born27 January 2000 Schmid started at USV Vasoldsberg before moving to Sturm Graz at the age of nine. He was always tipped for big things and swiftly progressed through the youth teams at Sturm before making his debut for the club’s amateur side in March 2016. The dynamic playmaker was promoted to the first-team squad in the summer of 2016 and handed his first-team debut in May 2017, becoming the first player born in this millennium to play in the Austrian Bundesliga. Schmid joined Red Bull Salzburg for €600,000 plus development fees in the summer of 2017 but has started playing for their satellite team FC Liefering. “There were some really cool clubs interested in me but I didn’t want to join a huge club straight away,” he said. “I’d rather develop at a steady pace. I was offered more money by other clubs but this felt like the right move. In 10 years’ time I’d like to have played in the Champions League.” **[Philip Bauer](https://twitter.com/Philip_Bauer?lang=en)** **October 2018 update** Started the 2018-19 season still at Liefering, where he had played 14 league games and scored five goals by mid-September, and also made his debut for the Austrian Under-19s. **October 2019 update** Joined Werder Bremen for around €1m in January 2019 and was loaned to Wolfsberger AC, where he will remain until June 2020. A regular in the Austrian Bundesliga side’s midfield he had set up three goals by mid-September. **October 2020 update** After a successful campaign in the Austrian Bundesliga – as well as Europa League – Schmid is now back at Werder and fighing for a place in the matchday squads. Despite some encouraging perfomances in pre-season, however, he didn’t make the first few squads. “You have to give young players a chance,” said the man responsible for the professional teams at Werder, Clemens Fritz. “We see huge potential in Romano. He has special moments in games and is almost like a street footballer who brings something different.” **October 2021 update** It is fair to say that Schmid had his Bundesliga breakthrough in 2020-21, featuring in 22 games, starting 13 of them. Werder were relegated but Schmid stayed and is an important part of the squad trying to bounce back immediately. Now has 11 caps for the under-21 team. **September 2022 update** A virtual ever-present in the team as Bremen won promotion back to the Bundesliga. He is only 22 but has become quite influential and, in an interview this summer, thanked the older players at the club for allowing him to share his views when things are not going according to plan.