Overview
- Eintracht CEO Axel Hellmann has taken on the sporting director duties on an interim basis and says the club will name a permanent successor within weeks rather than months.
- Hoffenheim managing director Andreas Schicker publicly ruled himself out of the job, narrowing a public list of candidates and underlining the search’s delicacy.
- The club faces financial limits after the supervisory board demanded a transfer surplus, so winter activity is expected to focus on loans and lower-cost signings rather than expensive transfers.
- Hellmann and the board want a candidate proven in player development who will prioritize the club’s youth and domestic scouting and who fits coach Adi Hütter’s preference for forceful, attacking football.
- The push to fill the role quickly follows a turbulent 2026 season that included two coaching dismissals and Markus Krösche’s exit and raises pressure on the club to restore form and protect its reputation while keeping European competition as the stated goal.