Hamburger SV have agreed a deal to appoint Bayern Munich executive Kathleen Krüger as their new sporting director, according to NDR. The 40-year-old will fill a role that has been vacant since Stefan Kuntz departed the club in January, with a contract expected to be signed imminently. Krüger will share the boardroom leadership at the Bundesliga club with chief executive Eric Huwer upon her arrival this summer.
The club's supervisory board reportedly reached a majority decision in favour of Krüger during a meeting on Tuesday evening. She currently serves as head of organization and infrastructure at Bayern Munich, roles she is expected to oversee in a similar capacity at HSV, alongside corporate communications. The day-to-day transfer business is likely to remain the responsibility of sporting director Claus Costa, according to the reports.
Krueger's appointment marks a significant step for the historic club, though it does not represent the first time a woman has held a board-level position at HSV. Katja Kraus served on the executive board from 2003 to 2011, becoming the first woman on the board of a Bundesliga club at the time. The move also follows a wider trend in German football, with Tatjana Haenni having taken over as chief executive of RB Leipzig at the start of this year.
The search for a successor to Kuntz has been ongoing for four months, during which time Huwer and Costa managed the outgoing director's responsibilities. Other high-profile names were linked with the position, including former German Football Association (DFB) director Oliver Bierhoff and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Kuntz's departure earlier this year was followed by considerable public disagreement, leaving a leadership void at a critical time for the club. HSV, under head coach Merlin Polzin, are currently battling to avoid relegation in their first season back in the Bundesliga following promotion last year. The appointment of Krüger is seen as a move to bring stability and a fresh perspective to the club's football operations as they plan for the future, regardless of which division they compete in next season.
