By Mark Baber
August 26- Swiss billionaire investor Klaus-Michael Kühne wants to see radical reforms and Felix Magath, known for his tough management style, brought in to run Hamburger SV – and unless he gets his way he will not be putting any more of his money into the club.
Speaking to the Hamburger Abendblatt evening newspaper Kühne said: “I think the club is set up in an amateurish fashion at all levels. Sometimes a clean break is the best way for a new beginning. My greatest desire would that after a reform of the club, Felix Magath would become the strong man at the club as the new President of HSV. He could give HSV much-needed impetus.”
Kühne spoke as HSV had only taken a point from their first two games, insisting Magath should be taken on as a consultant immediately. HSV’s loss this weekend to newcomer Hertha Berlin, spoiling the club’s celebration of 50 years in the Bundesliga, will only add more impetus to Kühne’s campaign to get rid of current coach Thorsten Fink, with whom Kühne says he is “very disappointed” and new sporting director Oliver Kreuzer of whom Kühne says “I do not consider him the right person in the right place.”
Kreuzer hasn’t minced words in his response, saying Kühne’s statements are unbelievable, that sitting in the sun in Mallorca he hasn’t a clue what he is talking about and what he is saying is “rubbish”.
Magath, who has been looking for a new club since his release from VfL Wolfsburg, led Hamburg to success in the European Cup in 1983, scoring the winning goal in the final against Juventus, managed and coached the club in the 80s and 90s before leading Bayern and then Wolfsburg to Bundesliga glory.
Kühne, majority owner of the international transport company Kühne + Nagel who was estimated Forbes magazine in 2007 to have a personal wealth of US$ 5.9 billion, said:
“Without structural reforms, I am no longer available as an investor.”
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