Overview
- The club announced the hire on Dec. 14 via its website, with Sportbild reporting he leaves Sanfrecce Hiroshima in December to take over in January and that the contract length was not disclosed.
- Skibbe said he feels honored by the role and set the goal of making Kobe the best team in Japan.
- His Hiroshima stint produced J.League Cup titles in 2022 and November 2025 plus coach-of-the-year awards in 2022 and 2024.
- Vissel Kobe targets a reset after finishing fifth in 2025, a drop following league championships in 2023 and 2024.
- The appointment fits Kobe’s international profile, which has featured stars such as Lukas Podolski and Andrés Iniesta as well as former coach Thorsten Fink.