Coup in the Volkspark?
HSV wants to bring Bayern woman in as its new sports director
April 30, 2026 – 3:32 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Replacement for Stefan Kuntz at HSV? Kathleen Krüger from FC Bayern Munich is to take up the vacant position of sports director.
Four months after the separation from Stefan Kuntz Hamburger SV have filled his vacant position as sports director. As the “Hamburger Abendblatt” reported on Wednesday evening, the supervisory board of the HSV At a meeting on Tuesday, the majority decided in favor of Kathleen Krüger. The 40-year-old Bayern official should sign a contract in Hamburg as soon as possible.
Krüger is currently working at FC Bayern Munich as Head of Organization and Infrastructure. She became known to a wide audience as the team manager of the record champions, where she was regularly seen in the coaching zone alongside coaches such as Pep Guardiola, Hansi Flick, Niko Kovac and Julian Nagelsmann. Most recently, she is said to have been involved in transfers and had a close relationship with coach Vincent Kompany. In the future, she will lead the board of HSV together with Eric Huwer.
According to the report, Krüger would be the first woman in the role of sports director in the Bundesliga. At RB Leipzig, the Swiss Tatjana Haenni has been CEO since the beginning of the year, a comparable, although formally different, leadership role. At HSV itself, Katja Kraus was marketing director from 2003 to 2011 and in 2009, after separating from Dietmar Beiersdorfer, she became the first female sports director on an interim basis. Krüger would be the second female manager at board level in the club’s history.
The selection process was carried out by the supervisory board together with the Pedersen & Partners agency and headhunter Henrik Mook. According to the “Hamburger Abendblatt”, HSV also asked Eintracht Frankfurt’s Markus Krösche and Stuttgart’s Fabian Wohlgemuth. Krüger is said to have convinced the supervisory board with her competence and her concept.
Krüger was once a professional soccer player herself: She played for FC Bayern Munich from 2004 to 2009 before moving into club work after her active career, initially as an assistant to the then Bayern sports director Christian Nerlinger. She brings with her an extensive network that she has developed over many years with the record champions.
Claus Costa, who is said to have been considered a candidate for promotion himself, should remain HSV’s sports director. The collaboration between him and his future superior should get off to a smooth start: both completed the DFB’s manager training course together and have known each other since then.
So far, Krüger has not been one of the faces that the public associates with German professional football. This is likely to change fundamentally at HSV. She is also expected to take over the communications area, which former board member Kuntz was previously responsible for.
In terms of sport, she would expect an immediate challenge: HSV has not yet secured relegation in the Bundesliga. On Saturday (3:30 p.m.) the Hamburg team will play at Eintracht Frankfurt. Krüger himself will be there at FC Bayern’s game against Heidenheim at this time. However, your thoughts will probably have long been focused on the Volkspark.
