Fürth (dpa) – Stefan Leitl wants to leave. The promotion and relegation coach of SpVgg Greuther Fürth wants to leave Franconia at the end of the season and is considered a hot candidate for Hannover 96.
“We will now clarify all the formalities,” announced Fürth’s managing director Rachid Azzouzi. The official would have liked to keep his coach, but has to bow to an exit clause. Leitl wants to leave the bottom of the table in the Bundesliga together with his assistant Andre Mijatovic in the summer. The duo informed the club management about this.
“Regardless of that, we would like to thank both of them for their commitment and look back on a very successful three and a half years. We will take care of all the necessary steps with the necessary care,” Azzouzi continued.
Candidate at Hanover 96
Leitl is considered a hot candidate for second division club Hannover 96. Majority shareholder Martin Kind has confirmed his interest in signing the 44-year-old. “We don’t have him yet, we would like to have him,” said the 77-year-old on TV station Sport1. “We are hopeful that we can do it, but there is no final decision yet. We hope that everything will be clarified by the weekend.”
The TV broadcaster Sky and the specialist magazine “Kicker” had previously reported on an agreement between the second division soccer team and Leitl, who is currently still in charge of the Franconian Bundesliga relegated.
According to information from the “Bild” newspaper, Leitl, Kind and 96 sports director Marcus Mann met two days earlier in Hanover. A background to Kind’s statement is: According to media reports, an exit clause in Leitl’s contract in Fürth is still in effect until April 30th. This is otherwise valid until 2023.
The contract of the current Hannover coach Christoph Dabrowski expires after this season and should not be extended. Leitl is said to bring attacker Havard Nielsen (SpVgg Greuther Fürth) with him to Hanover.
Fürth has been relegated
Leitl took over the game association in February 2019 in the 2nd Bundesliga. Last season he sensationally led the team to their second promotion to the Bundesliga in the club’s history.
Last summer, however, Fürth had to let top performers such as Anton Stach (FSV Mainz 05) and David Raum (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), who are now even senior internationals, go.
Despite a terrible hind series with only one point from the first 14 games, the club stuck to Leitl – he was then able to stabilize the Franks. Since the 1: 4 against Bayer Leverkusen, however, the early relegation of the bottom of the table has been certain. Departures like midfielder Paul Seguin (1. FC Union Berlin) and defender Maximilian Bauer (FC Augsburg) have long been sealed.
Azzouzi recently offered Leitl a long-term contract again. “Perhaps the security that we have shown him is proof of how much we want to continue on this path.” He “didn’t have the impression at all” that the coach wanted to say goodbye to Sky. This impression was deceptive.