After the dismissal of Tim Walter at Hamburger SV, former Bundesliga footballer and current TV expert Mario Basler dealt against the sacked coach and at the same time already looked at further personnel consequences if HSV wasted promotion again.
Third place in the 2nd Bundesliga, two points behind second place, five points at the top: That was enough for Hamburger SV to relieve Tim Walter of his duties on Monday after the previous 3-4 defeat against Hannover 96. Walter had been in office since the summer of 2021, longer than any other HSV coach in the last two decades.
From Mario Basler’s point of view, in the end it took far too long. “It was clear to me that Tim Walter would be thrown out. I didn’t understand why they waited so long anyway. They’ve already left so many points behind, they’ve already given away so many points,” said Basler in his podcast. “Basler shoots” about the 48-year-old’s record at the Elbe club, which actually seemed quite successful on paper with an average of 1.82 points per game.
In the end, however, Walter’s downfall was that he missed promotion twice.
Basler, however, doesn’t seem to get along with Walter on a human level either. “I don’t like seeing him out there on the sidelines either. At the weekend I saw him come to training early on Saturday after Friday night’s defeat against Hannover and grinning at the cameras, so completely arrogant and arrogant,” said the 55-year-old.
The TV expert was “glad that the issue has been settled because HSV simply belongs in the Bundesliga.” This step would not have been possible with Walter, Basler continued.
Basler: HSV should have reacted earlier
If promotion does not succeed after the 2023/24 season, there could be further consequences for HSV, Basler continued.
“Firing Jonas Boldt would be the next step if it doesn’t work. Now he has a cartridge, he has to use it now. He was already criticized a bit in Hamburg,” said the former Bundesliga footballer, assessing the situation for the sports director. He “should have reacted much earlier” in the Walter case.
In Hamburg, several coaching candidates are currently being discussed as successors to Walter.