The coveted U21 national coach Stefan Kuntz wants to support the German soccer team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but the 56 year-old has avoided a crystal-clear confession. “I intend to make Olympia. You just have to see what else comes in between,” said Kuntz on ZDF’s Aktuelle Sportstudio.
The success coach explained: “I’ve learned that yesterday’s statements keep catching up in football. 19 years ago, I said I’d never coach again.” Kuntz could also not “in principle rule out” any involvement in club football.
The 1996 European Champion had finished second with the German U21 at the end of the European Championship last Sunday. The team is now qualified for the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo. Kuntz’s contract expires after the games.
DFB Director Oliver Bierhoff had last publicly fought for Kuntz. “We don’t want to turn Stefan in. I hope he sees the strengths of the DFB. We will continue to create interesting offers for him, even outside the team,” Bierhoff said during the U21 European Championship.
Kuntz succeeded Horst Hrubesch in 2016. Actually Marcus Sorg had been planned as the new U21 coach, but then he was promoted to the team of national coach Joachim Löw. In 2017 Kuntz won the European Championship with the German youngsters.
Recently, Kuntz was repeatedly regarded as a potential national coach – even by Löw himself. This is “a praise” for him, Kuntz explained succinctly in the sports studio.
