Bundesliga coach refused offer from Man Utd to replace Ten Hag

This past summer, Manchester United faced a major decision regarding the future of Erik ten Hag, and Sebastian Hoeness was at the center of it. The manager of VfB Stuttgart was coming off one of the club’s most successful seasons in recent campaigns. In the 2023/24 season, Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga. That was the best finish for the club since winning the Bundesliga in 2006/07. That was enough to court interest from Manchester United, but he did not bite on that.

According to Bild, representatives from Manchester United met with Sebastian Hoeness about the possibility of taking over at Old Trafford. At the time, Erik ten Hag has not signed the contract extension keeping him at the club until June 2026. The club saw Hoeness as someone who could lead the reconstruction of the club quickly, much in the same way he had with Stuttgart. However, the 42-year-old coach turned the Red Devils down. He elected to stay in the Bundesliga and continue his work with Stuttgart.

Hoeness is the son of Stuttgart and Bayern icon Dieter Hoeness. He is the nephew of Uli Hoeness, another former Bayern player who later served as President of the club. There was no indication that his decision to turn down Manchester United came down to interest in any other jobs. Rather, he wants to stay on with Stuttgart, where the ability to develop as a coach is far easier.

The German only became the manager of Stuttgart in April of 2023. At the time, Stuttgart was at the bottom of the Bundesliga and a candidate to go down to the second division. He rattled off 13 points in the club’s final eight games, which dragged Stuttgart to 16th. Stuttgart then dispatched Hamburg in the relegation playoffs, 6-1 on aggregate.

Manchester United interest in Sebastian Hoeness shows club keeps options available

Although this report comes from summer interest, it is worth noting that Manchester United is sifting around options to replace Erik ten Hag. Based on how the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign has gone, Manchester United may soon be in the market for a new manager. The Dutch manager remains confident that he will keep his job through the season. However, Manchester United is 14th in the Premier League. In the Europa League, United has drawn its first two games. The club may not put up with this level of mediocrity for much longer.

Sebastian Hoeness may not be at the top of the list for Manchester United currently. If he is focusing on his time with Stuttgart, his onus remains on the UEFA Champions League and the Bundesliga. Plenty of coaches have been linked to the Manchester United job in the opening months of the 2024/25 season. For example, Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Simone Inzaghi have been in the rumor mill around Old Trafford. Hoeness does not have the resume that those names carry, but he is bringing fresh ideas to Stuttgart to great success early on in his managerial career.

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