After the surprising dismissal of the previous head coach Stefan Leitl, Hannover 96, a Second Division football club, has appointed André Breitenreiter as his successor. The club announced this on a Sunday morning.
“André has repeatedly demonstrated in his career that he can lead a team on a high performance level, consistently, stably, and successfully through a season – and especially in the decisive games” said Sports Director Marcus Mann. “This is true for the promotion in 2017 with 96, just as it is for the promotion with Paderborn and the Swiss championship with FC Zürich.” Breitenreiter, who previously trained the 96ers from 2017 to 2019, knows the club and the environment very well. He will not require a long period of acclimatization, Mann said.
As a player, Breitenreiter was already active in Hannover in his early years. As co-trainer, he brings Thomas Kleine with him. The 47-year-old had already assisted him in Huddersfield – as a player, he played ten times for Hannover 96 in the 2007/08 season. Furthermore, Lars Barlemann from the previous coaching team will also work with the new coach, whom he already knows from Breitenreiter’s first term.
Currently, Hannover 96 is in the Second Division table with 27 points in seventh place, four points behind the leader Cologne, and two behind the second-placed Karlsruher SC.