Who is Torsten Lieberknecht? Everything we know about German manager among favourites to replace Darren Moore at Sheffield Wednesday

The list being offered by Sky Bet features plenty of household names and coaches well-known to the Hillsborough faithful. Ex-Owls boss Carlos Carvalhal sits top of it, ahead of the likes of his former assistant Bruno Lage and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

However, the current third-favourite for the job at Wednesday is German coach Torsten Lieberknecht. He has never managed in England but has a wealth of experience having first stepped into senior management in 2008 with Eintracht Braunschweig. Here is everything we know about the 49-year-old.

Playing career

A midfielder in his playing days, Lieberknecht spent his entire career in his native Germany. After beginning his career with FC Kaiserslautern, he went on to represent Waldhof Mannheim, Mainz, 1. FC Saarbrücken and Eintracht Braunschweig.

Coaching career

After hanging up his boots, Lieberknecht coached within Eintracht Braunschweig’s youth system. He eventually took the reins of the first-team in 2008, saving them from relegation to the fourth tier and eventually guiding them back to the second tier of German football. He then led them to promotion to the Bundesliga, although the club lasted just one season in the top flight. In 2018, Eintracht Braunschweig were relegated to the third tier and Lieberknecht’s decade-long tenure came to an end.

He spent two years in charge of MSV Duisburg, overseeing relegation to the third tier before being axed before the end of his third season in charge with the club still in the 3. Liga. Darmstadt 98 appointed him in June 2021 and after a fourth-placed finish in his maiden campaign, Lieberknecht steered the club to promotion to the Bundesliga.

Style

In 2013, when Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was in charge of Borussia Dortmund, he reserved praise for the way in which Lieberknecht set up his Eintracht Braunschweig side. As reported by The Independent, Klopp said: “The tactical idea comes directly from the Wolfgang Frank School. His team wants to work hard against the ball and, after that, always be creative in attack.”

In Darmstadt 98’s promotion-winning campaign last season, they mostly adopted a 3-4-1-2 formation.