Favourite to succeed Kuntz? Here’s what HSV sporting director Costa says | OneFootball

Who will lead HSV into the future as the strong man? Since the surprising departure of sports director Stefan Kuntz in January, the position has been vacant.

Since then, sports director Claus Costa has repeatedly been considered a potential successor. However, the 41-year-old has consciously remained cautious about the emerging speculations. On the Sport1 show “Doppelpass,” Costa responded evasively. “It is absolutely not my area of expertise, and therefore it is not my question,” he explained regarding a possible promotion to sports director.

In fact, the decision about the new appointment lies with the HSV supervisory board. In recent weeks, prominent candidates have been repeatedly considered, including former DFB director Oliver Bierhoff, BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl, or former Bayern boss Hasan Salihamidžić. The club itself is taking its time with the search.

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Costa increasingly popular in the HSV environment

Internally, HSV sees itself as stable. Together with financial director Eric Huwer, Costa is currently responsible for the club's operational capabilities. According to the sports director, everything is running smoothly. “Eric has been with the club longer than I have. We work very closely together every day,” Costa emphasized, speaking of a “trusting collaboration” within the leadership.

As evidence of the functioning structure, Costa pointed to the winter transfer period in early February. Despite a total of 13 arrivals and departures, coordination with the board and supervisory board went efficiently. Through the numerous orchestrated deals, the former professional earned additional trust from the club's leadership.

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Costa joined HSV as chief scout in 2019 before being promoted to sports director in March 2023. Although he initially had a rather mixed reputation among many fans, his popularity has risen rapidly in recent months. This is due in no small part to the summer transfer period, during which he achieved numerous coups. Costa managed to bring Arsenal professionals Fabio Vieira and Sambi Lokonga to the Volkspark, among others.

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