Schwarz in talks with Aberdeen but is only one 'candidate'

Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has confirmed former Mainz, Hertha Berlin, Dinamo Moscow and New York Red Bulls boss Sandro Schwarz is in the city for talks about the vacant manager's position - but is only one of several candidates.

The Scottish Premiership club sacked Jimmy Thelin on 4 January, with Peter Leven named interim, while sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel began the process of searching for a permanent successor.

Aberdeen have since added Tony Docherty and Ian Burchnall to Leven's coaching staff despite recently saying they hoped to make an announcement about a permanent appointment "imminently".

Eirik Horneland was heavily linked with the post after leaving Saint-Etienne, but he told Norwegian television he was not interested in taking on a new position until the summer.

In a RedTV interview, Cormack said Aberdeen are working to make the right decision, and have a shortlist, but that making an immediate appointment might not be possible for the preferred choice.

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"The preponderance of coaches coming forward want, for health reasons or otherwise, a fresh start in the summer," added the chairman. "They want a full pre-season to get their methodology instilled.

"What I would say is that we had a shortlist of about four candidates and we narrowed that and some of these guys aren't necessarily available to come and look at Aberdeen and look at what we have here.

"It's important that we keep confidentiality because if candidates don't want you to talk about them then we have to respect that.

"The situation with one of the candidates is that there's a personal challenge, family-wise, that we have to respect.

"One I can talk about because he said it was OK to mention it is that visiting from yesterday through to the Celtic game is Sandro Schwarz. He's here to check us out and vice versa, but he's a candidate."

Asked if German Schwarz, 47, could be appointed quickly if talks worked out, Cormack said: "That's got to be determined.

"We could have hired a coach and put someone in place within two weeks - but would he have been a 10/10 fit?

"For me, it's embarrassing that we're having to go through my sixth permanent appointment and some in the Premiership have been through seven, eight or nine in that time. The average tenure is 1.2 years.

"We will take our time to get the right manager in place."