This week, Martin Kind, the majority shareholder of Hannover 96, ended a coaching discussion that allegedly never existed. Kind found it superfluous that he had to express his confidence in the trainer Stefan Leitl. After all, there is a three-year plan with the coach, at the end of which the traditional second division club 96 should return to the Bundesliga. And questioning that plan “makes no sense,” said Kind, 79, of new press.
That is consistent so far. If only there hadn’t been a few other statements by Martin Kind that – briefly summarized – went in a completely different direction.
At the start of the season, after Hannover’s meager 2-2 win over promoted Elversberg, Kind didn’t try very hard to hide his anger at losing two points. The pugnacious club boss grumbled that he could not see any further development under Leitl. First the botched second half of the season when, according to rumors, Kind was already looking for a new coach, now the botched start of the season. Kind declared that if he said everything he thought, “then we would have war”.
Even by Kind’s standards, who verbally likes to do without the expertise of a PR consultant, that was a moderate blunder. Leitl, who has been head coach in Hanover since the summer of 2022, reacted quite coolly to that. Although the criticism was “unjustified”, it did “nothing at all” to him personally, assured Leitl. He has also not spoken to the child for several weeks: “Why should we talk great?”
Just as things are calming down again, club legend Schatzschneider gives an interview
If Leitl has studied the job description in Hanover carefully, he must have guessed that at 96 (last twelve coaches in ten years) enduring many a quarrel is part of it. And that a declaration of confidence does not necessarily mean that you are still in office two weeks later. Things got off to a relatively good start for Oberbayern Leitl in the capital of Lower Saxony: In the previous season, fifth place after the first half of the season within throwing distance of the promotion places, which, however, was followed by a fall in tenth place in the second half of the season. When the start of the season against Elversberg went wrong, followed by the cup loss at the third division team Sandhausen, Martin Kind was up to speed.
Apparently, the child doesn’t feel any real desire for “war”. Since then he has tried here and there to cushion the criticism of Leitl. For example, by praising Leitl’s direct manner, after all, he is someone you can talk to. Kind even described his own war rhetoric as “not quite okay”. The most recent performance against Hamburger SV, 0-1 on Saturday evening, was also “a giant step forward”.
By this time, however, someone had long since put the firewood in the fireplace, who also rarely consults with PR consultants: Hanover’s club legend Dieter Schatzschneider.
The 65-year-old used to be a record goalscorer in the second division and is now employed as a 96-year-old scout. And he belongs, you have to know, in this club, which has long been divided into camps, clearly in the child faction. At Sport1, “Schatz” now eloquently declared his dissatisfaction with Leitl: “I don’t like his style. I don’t like the dispute with Mr. Kind at all,” said Schatzschneider, who himself came from a time when things were still being done boss say “The fact that Leitl doesn’t even want to speak to Kind is outrageous. I’m shocked,” continued Schatzschneider before watching the HSV game in Kind’s box, as was observed.
While Leitl reacted coolly again (“I won’t speak to Schatzschneider or about him”), at least sporting director Marcus Mann said: “Giving such an interview shortly before a game so that it appears a few hours before kick-off speaks for itself.” , Mann said of treasure cutters. Everything else will be discussed internally. A warning is considered possible, but what should it bring? What Schatzschneider wanted to say, he said. And Leitl stands there damaged.