Second division soccer team HSV has released coach Tim Walter. The club confirmed this on Monday a few days after the 3-4 defeat in the northern duel against Hannover 96.
“After the disappointing home defeat against Hannover 96, we carried out a situation analysis and came to the decision that we had to make a change in order not to jeopardize our goals for the season,” said sports director Jonas Boldt. “Our fluctuations in performance in recent games have been too great and we lack full conviction that we will be able to achieve the necessary balance and stability in our game in this constellation over the next few weeks.”
“I would have liked to continue to contribute to achieving our season goal together.”
—Tim Walter
HSV had recently lost three times in a row at home. Walter himself thanked “HSV, the office and the extraordinary fans for more than two and a half years of great cooperation” and added: “I would have liked to have contributed further to achieving our season goal together .”
Before Christmas, the coach had already been on the rocks. Then he received another clear order from sports director Boldt and sports director Claus Costa to stabilize his team. However, eight goals conceded in the first two home games of the new year against Karlsruher SC (3:4) and Hannover 96 showed that the coach couldn’t manage it.
Is Steffen Baumgart coming now?
For the 48-year-old, whose contract runs until the end of the season, his term at Hamburger SV ends after more than two and a half years. He came to HSV in the summer of 2021 and finished third twice in the second division. However, he was unable to lead the team to the promotion he had hoped for. In 2022, HSV failed in relegation to Hertha BSC (1:0, 0:2), and last year against VfB Stuttgart (0:3, 1:3).
In addition to Walter, his assistants Julian Hübner and Filip Tapalovic were released with immediate effect. Merlin Polzin will initially look after the team on an interim basis and prepare them for the away game on Saturday (1 p.m., NDR Livecenter) at FC Hansa Rostock. HSV has announced a press conference for this afternoon (2:15 p.m.). It remains to be seen whether a successor will be announced. Steffen Baumgart is considered a hot candidate. The 52-year-old, who coached 1. FC Köln until the end of 2023, is reportedly ready to work in Hamburg.
Most successful HSV second division coach
In the past 40 years, there have only been three coaches in Hamburg with a longer tenure than Walter: Ernst Happel (1981-1987), Benno Möhlmann (1992-1995) and Frank Pagelsdorf (1997-2001). Walter scored an average of 1.82 points per game in 103 games, which is the best value in Hamburg’s second division history.
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Sports club | 02/11/2024 | 10:50 p.m
