Sandro Wagner is back on the sidelines.
The former Bayern Munich striker has been named the new head coach of Hannover 96 per a announcement onthew club website, signing a contract through June 2028 and taking charge of his first training session on Monday.
For Wagner, this is another opportunity to establish himself as a head coach after a coaching career that has taken a rather interesting route. The 38-year-old began coaching with SpVgg Unterhaching, where he guided the club to promotion to the 3.
Liga in 2023. He then moved into the Germany setup, working with the U-20s before joining Julian Nagelsmann’s senior national-team staff in 2023. Wagner was part of the Germany setup through the 2024 European Championship before leaving the DFB to pursue his own path as a head coach.
It could be argued that Wagner’s exit from Germany is where Nagelsmann started to have some problems.
Regardless, Wagner made the move to FC Augsburg, where Wagner got his first crack at managing in the Bundesliga. That spell ended quickly in December 2025 after a difficult start, leaving the former Bayern Munich player with something to prove when he returned to the coaching market. Now, Hannover has given him another opportunity — and this time, the club clearly believes it has found a coach whose personality and footballing philosophy fit the job.
Jonas Boldt, Hannover 96’s sporting director, explained why the club ultimately settled on Wagner.
“After the decision to change coaches last weekend, it was important for us to take the necessary time to find a successor. We carefully considered who would be a good fit for us and what they would need to bring to the table, both in the current situation and, of course, for the future. Sandro Wagner is certainly a well-known figure in German football. What impressed us most was that he had thoroughly familiarized himself with Hannover 96, our squad, and the season so far, and was therefore exceptionally well-prepared for our discussions. He’s a meticulous worker who is passionate about the job. The discussions quickly became in-depth, leading us to the very clear conclusion that Sandro is the right man for us. Together with him, we want to shape the sporting future of Hannover 96 successfully,” Boldt said.
That description of Wagner as meticulous and passionate fits the former striker pretty well. He has never exactly been accused of lacking personality, whether he was leading the line as a player or standing on the touchline as a coach.
Ralf Becker, Hannover’s other sporting director, also highlighted the qualities that the club believes Wagner can bring to the squad.
“Sandro Wagner has seen and experienced an incredible amount throughout his career as a player and coach. He has encountered football in many different facets and therefore brings a wealth of experience. As a coach, he has always enjoyed working with young players and developing their skills. His footballing approach is offensive, intense, and courageous, with aggressive pressing. Both of these qualities suit us and our squad very well,” Becker said.
And then there is Wagner himself, who sounds more than ready to get started.
“Hannover 96 is a powerful club – with a great tradition, a vibrant fan culture, and a success-driven environment. Naturally, I carefully considered what my next step in football should be. Even after the initial discussions with the management, I had the feeling that 96 was a really good fit. The structured, professional process over the past few days has reinforced this feeling. I’m really looking forward to the challenge because I’m convinced that with the right energy, we can achieve a great deal here. Therefore, I want to navigate this journey together as a team – with the fans, with all the staff. We want to act boldly and as a united front,” Wagner said.
That sounds like classic Wagner: plenty of energy, plenty of confidence and absolutely no shortage of ambition.
Now comes the difficult part. Hannover started the season with just four points from its first five 2. Bundesliga matches and dismissed Christian Titz last weekend. The club finished fourth last season, narrowly missing the promotion playoff, so the pressure to get back into the promotion conversation is already significant.
Wagner will get his first chance to put his ideas into practice on Monday.
For a former Bayern Munich striker who has already coached at the DFB and in the Bundesliga, Hannover represents another important chapter. And considering Wagner’s personality, it should be an entertaining one.
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