Hannover 96 appoints Sandro Wagner as head coach on contract through 2028

Managerial appointment in Lower Saxony

Hannover 96 confirmed the appointment of Sandro Wagner as the club's new head coach on Saturday evening, concluding discussions that had progressed throughout the week. The 38-year-old manager signed a contract running through June 30, 2028, with the 2. Bundesliga side. The appointment follows the dismissal of previous manager Christian Titz, who was released along with assistant coach André Kilian on Monday following an away defeat against 1. FC Nürnberg. Hannover entered the coaching search sitting in 15th place in the table, having gathered only four points across the opening five matchdays of the campaign. Supervisory board chairman Martin Kind had confirmed the agreement earlier on Saturday afternoon to news agency SID before the official club communication.

Management backing and transition plan

Club leadership moved quickly to secure Wagner, citing his intensity and detailed tactical approach during discussions. Managing director Jonas Boldt described the hiring process as direct and productive.

He is a person who works meticulously and burns for the task. The exchange went deep quickly, so we came to the clear decision that Sandro is the right man for us. Together with him, we want to shape the sporting future of Hannover 96 successfully.

Wagner is scheduled to conduct his first public training session on Monday, which will be paired with an official introductory press conference. For Sunday's 13:30 league fixture against VfL Bochum, under-23 coach Lars Barlemann directs the team from the technical area as interim coach. Wagner commented on the stature of the northern club upon his appointment.

Hannover 96 is a club with punch, with great tradition, a very vibrant fan culture, and a success-hungry environment.

Coaching progression and previous roles

The appointment in Lower Saxony represents Wagner's second head coaching post in German professional football. He started his coaching career at SpVgg Unterhaching, guiding the club to promotion into the 3. Liga in 2023. Between 2023 and 2025, Wagner served as assistant coach to Julian Nagelsmann with the German national team, participating in the 2024 European Championship on home soil. While he drew interest from Bundesliga clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen and 1899 Hoffenheim, his first top-flight head coaching tenure at FC Augsburg ended in December 2025 after twelve matches that included eight defeats and left the team in 14th place. As a player, the Munich native played for clubs including Bayern Munich, Hertha BSC, Darmstadt 98, 1899 Hoffenheim, and spent 2010 to 2012 with northern side Werder Bremen.

Promotion ambitions and sporting demands

Hannover 96 has targeted a return to the Bundesliga since suffering relegation from the top tier in 2019. In the 2024–2025 campaign, Titz guided the team to fourth place in the 2. Bundesliga, narrowly missing out on promotion before the club experienced a poor start to the current season. Wagner's mandate is to steer the squad away from the lower ranks of the table and re-establish the club in the promotion hunt. Club officials have not yet confirmed the full composition of Wagner's backroom staff or whether he will bring in new assistant coaches.