Season
24.05.19
HSV present new head of sport Jonas Boldt
Chairman of the HSV supervisory board Max-Arnold Köttgen explained the decision to relieve Ralf Becker of his duties and replace him with Jonas Boldt.
On Friday morning (24th May) the club announced the decision to part ways with head of sport Ralf Becker, and presented replacement Jonas Boldt to the media in a press conference at 14:00 CEST later that afternoon. The 37 year old will take up the role immediately. “We didn’t meet our objectives on the field this season,” said supervisory board chairman Max-Arnold Köttgen as he explained the decision. “The board came together this week and we decided that we wanted to begin the new season with a new head of sport. I personally informed Mr Becker of our decision this morning and thanked him for his efforts at the club. We have reached a clear decision at an important time and are very happy to have Jonas Boldt as the club’s new head of sport.” Boldt worked alongside Rudi Völler for many successful years at Bayer Leverkusen, most recently and sporting director, and spoke over the course of the press conference about HSV, the challenges ahead and also answered questions about a new head coach. Jonas Boldt on…
... his arrival at the club: Most people know that I have decided to change jobs after a long and great time in Leverkusen. I took a lot of time to myself to do so and looked at different fields. When the situation at HSV came up, I had a good feeling from the very start. To be at the forefront as head of sport is a new task for me. It is no secret that I had similar thoughts a year ago, before deciding to extend my contract at Leverkusen. After such a long time at a club which couldn’t be more different to HSV given the current situation, I feel a real sense of anticipation ahead of this challenge.
…the project at HSV: HSV is a very polarising club. That’s something that we followed at Leverkusen over the last few years and perceived to be true. Getting a feel for the passion that people in this city have for the club over the last few days is something that really excites me. As a result, I feel a sense of duty to take this energy and channel it in the right direction. Those who know me know the way I set various objectives at Leverkusen, will quickly recognise I am coming to Hamburg full of ambition.
…the search for a new head coach: Currently, we haven’t reached an agreement with any coach. Over the last six months, I’ve spent a lot of time listening and watching what’s happening in the coaching world. I’m following a clear vision: we don’t want our coach to invent a new way of playing football, but instead want to ensure stability, consistency, and composure. That will only happen by winning people’s trust and going back to the basics. We want to announce a new head coach as soon as possible, but it doesn’t make sense to name a date. I will take the time that’s needed in order to carry out discussions. Quality is more important than quickness. I’m optimistic that we will have a very good coach before the start of pre-season.
…how the team presents itself: I think we have a very interesting squad, even if there will certainly be changes and additions. It doesn’t make sense to target individual players right now. First and foremost, we want to stand for successful football and put together a team that identifies themselves with the club and the city. What system they play under in order for that to happen will obviously also depend on the coach. We’re not going to say right now that we have to play possession football and that our football must be beautiful to watch; instead we want to focus on achieving the ambitious goals that we have. What matters most of all is winning back people’s trust in the notion that HSV stands for something.