Hanover Find New Man to Turn Fortunes Around

After two days of intense negotiations, Hanover have named Dieter Hecking to assume ex-coach Peter Neururer’s spot on the bench. Hecking, who up until now headed newly-promoted side Alemannia Aachen, can immediately get to work on the troubled Hanover club that currently finds itself mired in last place in the Bundesliga.

And it was Hecking himself who indirectly gave Neururer his marching orders after Aachen’s 3-0 defeat against Hanover on August 26. The miserable start, in which a porous defense allowed 11 goals in three losses, was too much for the management of the northern Germans. Hanover hope Hecking can turn the fortunes of the club around before things get any worse.

Aachen’s president Horst Heinrichs said after the announcement that only because Hecking presented “profoundly private reasons” for a switch to Hanover, did Alemannia allow him to leave. Hecking’s family lives only 30 kilometers from Hanover. It is also in Hanover where the former striker ended his career as a player.

Letting Hecking move on was according to Heinrichs in the best interests of Aachen. Holding on to him, the Aachen president said, would only have “endangered the goals the club has set.”

Sources said that Hanover had to pay close to a million euros ($1.28 million) in “damages” to Aachen for Hecking’s services. It is not yet clear who will take on the coaching duties for the west German side. On the weekend, Aachen go to amateur club Chemnitzer FC in a first-round German Cup match.

Hecking’s new side will also travel east to face Dynamo Dresden but interim coach Michael Schönberg will heading the team in their first German Cup game. Nevertheless, a victory would naturally be a great start for the new coach who will start on Monday. And it would also be an appropriate early birthday present for Hecking who turns 42 on Tuesday.