Stefan Leitl should remain coach of Hannover 96 despite the sporting slump in recent months. “We’re going into the coming season with Stefan Leitl,” confirmed majority shareholder Martin Kind to the “Neue Presse”.
After the 0:3 home defeat against Heidenheim a week ago, the 45-year-old was still on the brink. “We will now evaluate it from game to game,” Kind explained in the “Bild” and previously freely admitted that he would have thrown Leitl out of the door “in an emotional reaction” if the decision about the coach’s fate was made immediately after the duel with the promotion contender on the Friday before last.
“I have always said that we want to get through the crisis without the usual mechanisms of sport taking effect.”
— 96 sports director Marcus Mann
It was only after two intensive discussions with sports director Marcus Mann, who is formally responsible for the coaching staff, that the powerful majority shareholder of the professional department rejected the idea. It was 3-1 in Bielefeld and Kind now expressed their confidence in both Leitl and Mann: “That is and will remain our duo. That’s definitely certain.”
“Leitl identifies with 96”
Leitl came to Hanover from SpVgg Greuther Fürth before this season. “He identifies with 96” and has “already worked successfully in the past,” said Kind of the coach who surprisingly led Fürth to promotion to the Bundesliga in 2021.
Lower Saxony, who were fifth in the table after the first half of the season and were also able to look towards the Bundesliga, have only scored nine out of a possible 36 points in the second half of the season. The 3:1 in Bielefeld was only the second victory. “Leitl got through the difficult period stably without losing control. I’m sure he will learn from it,” said Kind.
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Sports News | 04/25/2023 | 4:02 p.m
