AUDIO: HSV: Stefan Kuntz is no longer sports director (1 min)
As of: January 2, 2026 11:17 a.m
Stefan Kuntz is no longer the sports director at Bundesliga soccer team HSV. As the Hamburg-based company announced on Friday, the 63-year-old asked the supervisory board to terminate his position immediately for personal family reasons.
According to HSV’s announcement, Kuntz asked for the employment relationship to be terminated on December 31, 2025 after the Christmas holidays. The club did not provide any further information about the background to the surprising farewell.
“Sometimes there are more important things than football.”
Stefan Kuntz
“Sometimes there are more important things than football. That’s the case with me now. I don’t want to say anything more about it and ask that you respect that,” explained Kuntz, who took up his board role in May 2024 and was promoted to the Bundesliga with Hamburg in 2025. “I would like to thank HSV for a great year and a half. I wish the teams and the entire office the best.”
Kuntz wrote on the social media platform Instagram: “It was a great honor to be part of this special club.” He called his time at HSV “intense, emotional and characterized by real values. I was particularly impressed by the unique fan culture, the clear stance even on difficult issues, the lived culture of remembrance and the great social commitment – because they reflect a lot of what I also stand for.” Kuntz said he was “grateful for everything we experienced together.”
Kuntz has achieved a lot at HSV
Promotion, financial boom and a club culture with down-to-earth attitude and drive: Kuntz has achieved a lot in Hamburg in a year and a half. When the 1996 European champions were introduced as Jonas Boldt’s successor, the club had just missed their target return to the German elite league for the sixth time. Kuntz separated from coach Steffen Baumgart six months later – and promoted Merlin Polzin, who ultimately became a promotion hero.
At the same time, Kuntz managed to minimize the many disruptive noises of the past around the club and exemplify a culture of tackling things. This is also why the report is likely to cause concern among many fans.
Especially since the media has recently focused primarily on the extension of his contract, which expires next summer. There were hardly any external signs that Kuntz would no longer be in office as sports director when the club started training on Friday. For the time being, HSV probably wants to continue operating with the existing staff.
Club sees itself in a good position
The chairman of the supervisory board, Michael Papenfuß, admitted in an interview on the club’s website that “the time between the years was very intense and not a gentle end to the year 2025”: “We have had many discussions in the past few days and are well positioned for the tasks ahead with board member Eric Huwer and a strong second management level,” explained Papenfuß, who thanked Kuntz for his work: “Stefan has achieved a lot with his team. We wish him all the best for his personal future.”
Training starts on Friday
After 15 match days in the Bundesliga, HSV is currently in 13th place with 16 points. On Friday, the team will start preparing for the remaining 19 matches. The start after the short winter break is on January 10th away from home in Freiburg (3:30 p.m., in the NDR Livecenter).
For the time being without a sports director at HSV: sports director Claus Costa (l.) and coach Merlin Polzin.
Squad adjustments, which primarily have to be made by sports director Claus Costa, should help in achieving relegation.
Papenfuß: Decide on Kuntz’s successor “without hassle”.
However, Kuntz’s strong voice and face will be missing in the future. “It is a challenge, a new situation, but one for which we are prepared,” said Supervisory Board Chairman Papenfuß. A decision on a successor should be made “without haste and with reason”.
