In the past two years, the ability of the 96 fans to suffer has been badly strained. “Mediocre” is probably the right hashtag for the past seasons with places 13 and 11. Now the about-face beckons. Early, possibly clever transfers give hope to the traditional club from 1896. The team check.
by Fabian Wittke
Preseason: inconsequentialities and homegrown arguments
“After an analysis of the unsatisfactory sporting situation, the head coach was released”: Using the jargon customary in the industry, the club announced the end of the “Jan Zimmermann project” via Twitter – after almost five months and before it actually started. Jan Zimmermann, who was born in Hanover, had recommended himself for 96 because he had led TSV Havelse into the third division. After eight games without a win, a chapter was closed that – not unusual for Hannover 96 – ended up before the labor court and ended with a rumored severance payment for Zimmermann of 80,000 euros.
Zimmermann was followed around the turn of the year by Hanover’s U23 coach Christoph Dabrowski, who picked up six points from three matches at the start, stabilized the team and went from being an interim to a medium-term solution. Good yes. But not good enough. Although Dabrowski managed to stay up with the “Reds” two games before the end of the season, manager Marcus Mann and club boss Martin Kind Dabrowski did not believe they could take the big step in the right direction. The contract, which expired at the end of the season, was not extended, Dabrowski was disappointed and finally went to third division promoted Rot-Weiss Essen.
The only ray of hope in a dreary season was reaching the DFB Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 win against Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach. The success story ended with the following 0:4 against the later cup winners RB Leipzig.
Who is coming, who is going?
If more than ten players come and just as many leave the club, the word “upheaval” can be used with a clear conscience. “They’re all still relatively young,” says manager Mann of the newcomers, alluding to potential and development potential alike.
Havard Nielsen stands out in attack, who followed his coach from Greuther Fürth, who had been relegated to the Bundesliga, and will certainly be particularly eyed by the fans because of his Braunschweig past. With Fabian Kunze (Arminia Bielefeld) and Phil Neumann (Holstein Kiel), two defensive edges (both over 1.90 meters tall) were signed. Louis Schaub (1. FC Köln) and Max Besuschkow (Jahn Regensburg) should be responsible for the more technically adept tasks in midfield.
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One of the biggest things at Maschsee was the fact that Maximilian Beier would be loaned out for another year by TSG Hoffenheim. The only 19-year-old winger earned himself a regular place and was involved in nine goals in the past second division season, he also scored four times in the DFB Cup.
What developments talents like Enzo Leopold (Freiburg II), Ekin Celebi (VfB Stuttgart II), Eric Uhlmann (RB Leipzig), Antonio Foti (Eintracht Frankfurt) or Toni Stahl (Energie Cottbus) will take and how they can help the team remains wait and see With Derrick Köhn, the Lower Saxony have signed a left-back who, after all, was trained at FC Bayern Munich, but was recently relegated from the Erendevise to the second Dutch division with Willem II Tilburg.
Hardly anyone will be sorely missed when it comes to departures, and yet Hannover has lost quality across the board with Linton Maina (1. FC Köln), Niklas Hult (target unknown), Marcel Franke (Karlsruher SC) and Dominik Kaiser (unknown). The squad looks well thought out, but the team could use a back-up at left-back.
“The club didn’t get into this situation in three months. And that’s why you can’t get out of it in three months. But if we can get everyone to pull together, then something is definitely possible here.” Marcus Mann
The trainer
This has never happened at Hannover 96: With the “welcome fist” that has become socially acceptable due to the corona pandemic, Stefan Leitl punched everyone present personally during his presentation walking through the individual rows. The first impression: likeable, unpretentious and much more important for 96 – still undefeated. Clear victories against lower-class teams were followed by good results in the short preparation, such as the 1-1 win against VfL Wolfsburg and the 3-0 win at the official season opener against Dutch first division club FC Groningen.
The 44-year-old never misses an opportunity to emphasize how important a functioning team is and that everyone has to put themselves at the service of his team. For Leitl, the Lower Saxony were even willing to pay the stipulated transfer fee of half a million euros to Greuther Fürth. Certainly also because the trainer knows how to prepare teams for promotion to the Bundesliga in the medium term.
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Due to his good work, Leitl was allowed to continue working for the Franconians in peace, despite the early relegation to the Bundesliga. Leitl would certainly have found a coaching job elsewhere, but made a conscious decision in favor of a “traditional club with potential for development in a great city”.
Such are the prospects for 96
“We’re not going to tell the players on Matchday 32 (if there’s a chance of promotion) to lose,” Mann replied creatively to the promotion question. The Lower Saxony are certainly not among the absolute favorites for promotion, but do not have to hide behind ambitious clubs such as HSV or Fortuna Düsseldorf in the field of pursuit.
Success will essentially depend on three factors: How quickly will the new coach Leitl be able to form a team with his signature from the promising squad with many new players? How does Hannover, who are playing the opening game in Kaiserslautern on Friday (8.30 p.m., in the Livecenter), get off the starting blocks in the first few games? And how patient is the big boss? How much time will partner Martin Kind, who contributed to a lavish budget, give his makers?
At first, second and even third glance, the chances of a season between second and eighth at Maschsee are better than they have been for a long time. “Hannover 96 must always aim to return to the Bundesliga at some point,” emphasized Mann. “But a new coach, a new idea and a lot of new players – that has to be found first. It’s realistic to take small steps first. If they do get bigger, nobody will be slowed down here.”
