Bundesliga premiere: Kathleen Krüger leaves Bayern and becomes new HSV sports director | OneFootball

Hamburger SV have landed a remarkable coup: Kathleen Krüger is leaving FC Bayern after more than 20 years and will become the new sports director at the Bundesliga promoted team

At the same time, HSV is making Bundesliga history: Krüger is the first permanent female sports director in the German top flight

The 40-year-old most recently worked at FC Bayern as Head of Organization and Infrastructure and enjoyed an excellent reputation both internally and externally. She now succeeds Stefan Kuntz in Hamburg, whom the club parted ways with back in January

At HSV, Krüger will be responsible for the club’s strategic sporting orientation, while sports director Claus Costa will remain in charge of operational squad planning

HSV Supervisory Board Chairman Michael Papenfuß was delighted with the appointment: „In Kathleen Krüger, HSV has gained a high-profile personality who has worked at FC Bayern Munich at the highest international level for many years.“

Papenfuß particularly emphasized her experience in an emotional top environment: „She combines sporting expertise, strategic thinking and great communication skills.“

Krüger: „A real privilege“

Krüger herself also expressed her excitement about her new role

„I am very pleased about the trust placed in me. It is a real privilege to be able to play a decisive role in shaping Hamburger SV at a sporting level in the future,“ explained the former Bayern official

At the same time, she expressly praised the development of the traditional club in recent years

From Bayern professional to top official

photo: IMAGO

Krüger knows FC Bayern better than almost anyone else, having played for the Munich women’s team as a player and played a total of 33 Bundesliga matches

After retiring from playing in 2009, she moved straight into a management role, initially working as an assistant to the then sporting director Christian Nerlinger before becoming team manager of the professional team in 2012

In this role, she was regularly seen on the touchline in the coaching zone for years and developed into one of the most important organizational figures at the record champions

in 2024, she was finally promoted to Head of Organization and Infrastructure

HSV deliberately focuses on a new profile

HSV President Henrik Köncke emphasized that Krüger had clearly prevailed in an intensive selection process

„We held numerous discussions over a period of months and intensively examined various profiles,“ explained Köncke. „Kathleen Krüger impressed us on a personal and professional level and stood out with a clear concept.“

For FC Bayern, her departure means the loss of a long-standing and internally highly esteemed manager. For HSV, on the other hand, the appointment is a strong signal – both in sporting and structural terms.