Championship club Huddersfield Town appoint former Hannover, Schalke, Hoffenheim and FC Zurich boss Andre Breitenreiter as new head coach

Breitenreiter – said to be a proponent of gegenpressing, high-energy football - is set to take control of the Championship club next week, when his visa is processed, with interim manager Jon Worthington taking the side for a final time at home to Hull City on Saturday.

The German, 50, whose deal is until the summer of 2026, has extensive experience in his homeland. He took SC Paderborn 07 to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history in 2014.

After two seasons, he was appointed by leading Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, who he took to a fifth-placed finish in 2016. He worked at the club for one season in total.

Breitenreiter soon earned his second promotion from the 2. Bundesliga as manager of Hannover 96 in the 2016-17 campaign and subsequently worked in Switzerland at FC Zurich, who won the Swiss Super League title in 2022, ending the club’s 13-year wait for a championship.

He latterly worked at Hoffenheim from May 2022 to February 2023.

Breitenreiter has now agreed to take charge of the Terriers on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Announcements to his coaching staff will be confirmed soon.

Town owner and chairman Kevin Nagle commented: "I’m very excited about André’s appointment.

"At the start of this process, we were very clear on what we expect our head coach to deliver.

"Atop that list was the creation of a winning culture, where there is no fear over taking bold options to try and get all three points in every game – before match day or during the game.

"We also want to deliver a type of football that will excite our supporters, who love a high-tempo, front-foot, all-action style.

“We believe André is the ideal candidate to deliver this.

"His credentials as a winner are there for all to see and, upon speaking to him, I was very impressed with his depth of knowledge. I’m excited to see the impact he has on our talented squad.

Town sporting director Mark Cartwright added: "André was someone we were very interested in speaking with from an early point of our search.

"His record as a head coach is unquestionable, having overachieved with several different clubs to win titles and promotions in Germany and Switzerland.

"His philosophy on football fits what we were looking for in our next head coach and, when we began to speak about the opportunity, his confidence in his methods was very clear.

"He’s determined to show that his qualities as a head coach will work in England, and he’s excited about Kevin’s ambition for the future.

"We believe André has the skillset to positively impact our squad in the remaining games of this season, and that together we can build something really exciting for our fans in the future.”