After Costa deal: Will HSV now extend Kuntz’s contract too? | OneFootball

On Friday, HSV extended the contract of Sporting Director Claus Costa by another two years. Is Sporting CEO Stefan Kuntz next in line?

There is a spirit of optimism at Hamburger SV: After the early contract extension of Sporting Director Claus Costa until 2028, the focus now naturally shifts to the question of what will happen with Sporting CEO Stefan Kuntz. After all, the duo is considered a closely knit leadership team, largely responsible for the successful squad overhaul.

Kuntz himself officially announced Costa’s extension on Friday and publicly praised perhaps his most important colleague. This is a clear sign of how much the 63-year-old relies on the work of his squad planner.

But while things are clear for Costa, the future of the 1996 European Champion remains uncertain. His contract expires in the summer, but would automatically be extended by another year until 2027 if the club stays in the league. And that’s exactly where the problem lies: HSV could be fighting for survival in the league until late next May, which means a decision about the sporting leadership could potentially be delayed.

Nur die Raute – All the latest news about HSV

HSV hopes for clarity before the second half of the season

The supervisory board wants to avoid this scenario and, according to a Bild report, is seeking an earlier resolution. Ideally, it should already be clear in the winter whether Kuntz will remain with the club in the long term. The goal for the coming summer is planning security, so that Costa and Kuntz can jointly set the course for a second Bundesliga season.

Initial talks have already taken place, and these are expected to become more concrete in the coming weeks. In addition to the usual contract details such as duration and salary, the main issue is whether both sides are aligned in terms of sporting direction and medium- to long-term goals. If the club manages to stay in the league, HSV wants to gradually work its way up in the following years.

The overall mood is positive: the supervisory board is satisfied with the work of the sporting department. Kuntz, in turn, can well imagine continuing. So, all signs point to the next contract extension following the Costa deal.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.