2nd Bundesliga: Hannover 96 and coach Breitenreiter end cooperation

Hannover 96 separated from coach André Breitenreiter. The second division soccer team announced this in a message. Since his return as a coach in December last year, the former promotion coach has failed to significantly increase with the ambitious Lower Saxony in the promotion race. Most recently there were three defeats in a row, which is why they “agreed together” to end the cooperation.

“According to the results of the past few weeks, it is clear: We have to look at the new season from now on and will also change in the coaching position in summer,” said sports manager Marcus Mann. “André and I had a very open and good conversation in which it quickly became apparent that we share the view that it is right among these signs to make a cut now.”

The previous assistant coach Lars Barlemann, U19 coach Dirk Lottner and U17 coach Christian Schulz will look after the team in the four remaining season games. Anyone who then becomes a head coach with the Lower Saxony is still open. Club legend Steven Cherundolo and Lukas Kwasniok, who leaves SC Paderborn at the end of the season, are considered candidates.

Breitenreiter as the successor to Leitl

Breitenreiter had taken over the job shortly before the turn of the year from Stefan Leitl. The sporting leadership had no longer believed the promotion to the current trainer of Hertha BSC.

But the successor to Breitenreiter, which was equipped with a half -year contract, did not ensure the hoped -for upswing. After a narrow victory in his debut in Regensburg (1-0), five draws followed. Most recently, 96 lost three times in series and said goodbye to the promotion race. “Unfortunately, we have not managed to convert really good performances into victories in too many games,” said Breitenreiter.

As a player, Breitenreiter won the DFB Cup with Hanover in 1992. From 2017, he experienced the promotion to the Bundesliga with the club as a coach during his first stop, after which he managed to stay in the league – and had to go in early 2019. He then became Swiss champion with FC Zurich, trained TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and the English Club Huddersfield Town.