Second division soccer team Hannover 96 parted ways with coach Stefan Leitl on Sunday. Although Lower Saxony is only two points behind a direct promotion place after the first half of the season, those responsible for the club saw their sporting goals at risk. André Breitenreiter should now lead the team into the Bundesliga.
The decision doesn’t come as a complete surprise. The “Reds” have only won one of their last six games. In particular, the last two appearances before the winter break at SpVgg Greuther Fürth (0:1) and against Hertha BSC (0:0) were not a letter of application from Leitl to continue his work.
The Munich native was repeatedly criticized during his tenure because the team was not consistent in its performance. His contract was originally dated until the end of the season. In addition to the 47-year-old, assistant coach Andre Mijatovic was also released from his duties.
Breitenreiter emphasizes “special connection” to 96
The new coach has already been chosen, André Breitenreiter is returning to his old place of work. The former striker was the coach of the “Reds” from 2017 to 2019 and led the club into the Bundesliga in the summer of 2017. The 51-year-old most recently worked for Huddersfield Town in England.
“Everyone knows about my special connection to Hannover 96. I am a Hanoverian – as a player and as a coach I have experienced many unforgettable moments with the club. I take on this task with respect, but also with the great conviction that together we can achieve a very… can play successfully in the second half of the season,” explained Breitenreiter.
Sports director Marcus Mann added optimistically with a view to the joint collaboration: “He has seen all of the 96 games this season and will not need a long time to get used to it. We can and want to get started from day one. He has this impression and the desire for 96 clearly conveyed from the first contact.”
Man: “Couldn’t get any real consistency”
Mann had previously commented in detail on Leitl’s dismissal in a statement. “Taking this step was certainly not an easy decision. Looking at the table, we are definitely up there, but to be honest we haven’t been able to achieve any real consistency and we have had extreme outliers at the bottom. To have the greatest possible probability of success “It takes absolute conviction and full support throughout the club and its surroundings,” explained the 40-year-old. However, the belief in being able to play for promotion until the end in this constellation was no longer unconditional.
Leitl was on target in the three-year plan
Leitl has been Lower Saxony’s coach since summer 2022. He was supposed to lead the club into the Bundesliga within three years. After finishing tenth and sixth in the last two seasons, he and the team were now well on their way to achieving that goal. However, the trainer is no longer allowed to complete his work.
Stefan Leitl has to leave Hannover 96.
“It was a great honor for me to be head coach of Hannover 96 for two and a half years. Overall, we were able to take many development steps during this time and put the club on a good path in terms of sport,” said the coach.
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Sports current | 12/29/2024 | 11:17 am
