HSV and Dieter Hecking part company

HSV and manager Dieter Hecking have parted company. After extensive talks between the 56-year-old coach and Jonas Boldt on the past season and the direction of the club in the future, both parties came to the decision that there would be no extension of the contract, which ended on the 30th June. “I joined the club a year ago, to achieve the goal of promotion back to the Bundesliga alongside the club’s hierarchy,” Hecking explained. “During the campaign we achieved a number of things; we played well during the first half of the season, satisfied the fans, overcame several difficult situations surrounding the team and took the club into calmer waters. But we didn’t achieve the goal that we had set ourselves. I take responsibility for that.”

On the joint decision, Hecking said: “After extensive discussions with a number of parties including Jonas Boldt, I won’t be continuing at Hamburger SV. I want to give the club’s hierarchy the chance to take the necessary steps in different circumstances, in a post-corona world. I would like to thank all of my colleagues, the employees at HSV, the team and the club’s hierarchy for the year gone by. I regret that we didn’t reach our goal.”

Jonas Boldt underlined how the respective parties came to their decision: “We had a very open and honest discussion. First, we analysed the season just past and then talked about possibilities for the upcoming season. On balance, we are compelled to take a different course. As such we came to a joint decision,” said Boldt.

Before the next steps will be taken, it was important for Boldt to bid farewell to Dieter Hecking. “In the name of Hamburger SV, I would like to thank Dieter for the trustworthy and honest work which he has undertaken whilst at HSV. Dieter gave everything to the task at hand here in Hamburg. It’s disappointing for all of us, that we didn’t reach the goal for the season which we set out to achieve.” The detailed points from the analysis of the 2019/20 season will have an effect on the planning for the new season. “We have to learn from what we experienced and continue to develop ourselves further,” Boldt explained.