"HSV is all that matters"

As expected, the media room was packed on Thursday (23rd May) for the presentation of the Rothosen’s new board member for sport, Stefan Kuntz. TV crews, photographers and journalists turned their eyes to the podium, where the Saarland native was joined by supervisory board chairman Michael Papenfuß and press spokesman Philipp Langer to be officially introduced in his new role. “I am delighted to have Stefan on board. We were immediately on the same wavelength in our talks with him. His analysis and his ideas encouraged us to continue our negotiations with him, so we are very pleased to welcome him here,” began Papenfuß. Kuntz also highlighted how impressed he – a self-confessed “football romantic” – was by the project at HSV, and is ready to tackle his new assignment with vigour.

Stefan Kuntz spoke in detail about…

…committing to HSV: When the call came from HSV, something happened inside me. My heart was pounding. The pictures of the Nordtribüne and the club gave me goosebumps instantly. I just had a feeling that it was the right move for me. I had a similar feeling when I became coach of the U21 national team. I know what that feeling is and I don’t jump into anything if I don’t have it. And I arrive here with a sense of humility: I have been entrusted with a very good job at an exceptional organisation. There is nothing more important than the club; the club must come first. It's not about individuals - HSV is all that matters.

"I didn’t think it was very HSV-like to question his position now"

…the future of head coach Steffen Baumgart: From the outside, it was impressive to see how HSV have maintained a level of continuity over the last few years and, in a positive sense, how things have gone quiet around the club. That made an impression on me. I’ve had a long and wide-ranging chat with Steffen over the course of last night and this morning. He’s not had a chance to work through a pre-season with the team or contribute his ideas in the transfer window. I didn’t think it was very HSV-like to question his position now, so for the time being we’ll continue as we are on the coaching front.

…squad planning: I will be travelling with Claus Costa to the relegation play-off in Bochum this afternoon, so we’ll have plenty of time to discuss everything to do with the squad. Some players have release clauses, so we’ll have to go over certain scenarios with the players and their agents. In the past, I’ve also had good experiences with bringing one or two players in on loan. At the same time, there are solid foundational qualities in the current squad. We’ve got to do a good job. There won’t be a Baumgart squad or a Kuntz squad; it’ll be a HSV squad that we can fight for promotion with. It’s important to have the right blend and we have to offer the players a comfortable environment to develop in.

"Now isn’t the time for Stefan Kuntz to come barging in with his 48 members of staff"

…his vision of HSV: “I made enquiries in the world of football about HSV and the impression I got, especially from club employees, was so consistently good that I said to myself: now isn’t the time for Stefan Kuntz to come barging in with his 48 members of staff. I want to take my time to get to know the people here and I’ll only take the decision to act if we get stuck in a rut and we can’t find a shared way forward. I know how valuable a good administrative team can be. I’ve already met the staff this morning and saw a lot of warmth and politeness, so it’s been an extremely good start for me. Jonas Boldt, who has done a very good job here, will also have a role to play. He’s offered to exchange ideas and I’ve rarely experienced a handover like that. Many of his values mirror my own.

…objectives for the coming season: Ideally we’ll be in and around the top three by Matchday 30, because from that moment on you really have something to fight for. That’s our goal for next season. The main aim is to see HSV in the Bundesliga and we have the framework in place to achieve that.