The official website of Beijing Guoan announced the appointment of Roger Schmidt, the German team, as head coach. The new mentor will take up his duties on July 1.

Schmidt led Bayer for three years, but was dismissed in March. In Beijing, he will replace Jose Gonzalez. Spaniard was sent into retirement after 2 defeats in a row, because of which Guoan is already 16 points behind the leading Guangzhou Evergrend.

"We are happy to inform that Roger Schmidt was appointed the head coach of the first team of the club," reads the statement of Beijing Guoan.

"Schmidt is a highly qualified specialist from Germany who has gained world recognition thanks to his style of play with Red Bull from Salzburg and Leverkusen Bayer. We are confident that Roger will give the team a new impetus and will allow it to reach new heights ".

Earlier media called Schmidt a candidate for work in Everton, Watford and the Netherlands, and more recently it was assumed that Roger, along with Thomas Tuchel, is the main contender for the coaching chair in Southampton.

In Guoan at the disposal of Schmidt there will be such stars as Renato Augusto, Burak Yilmaz and Jonathan Soriano.