Hannover 96 crisis deepens as Jonas Boldt reportedly faces dismissal
Hannover 96 began the season with hopes of challenging for promotion, but their campaign has quickly taken a worrying turn. A damaging run of results, an early DFB Cup exit and growing uncertainty behind the scenes have left the club battling near the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga. Now, reports in Germany suggest sporting managing director Jonas Boldt is set to leave—raising fresh questions about coach Sandro Wagner’s future as well.
According to Neue Presse and Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, Hannover’s shareholders and representatives of the club’s registered association agreed on Wednesday to part ways with Boldt. Appointed in July, he could therefore be dismissed just months into the role, with the club reportedly sitting 16th in the league table and already eliminated from the cup by 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Results put pressure on Hannover’s sporting leadership
The reported decision follows a difficult stretch on the pitch. Hannover’s defeat to Kaiserslautern came amid signs of internal tension, with Bild reporting that doubts about Boldt had emerged within the club before the cup tie. Wagner’s position was also said to be under scrutiny.
Wagner took charge in mid-September, replacing Christian Titz, who remained popular with many supporters despite the team’s problems. The change has yet to produce the lift Hannover needed. Under Wagner, the club’s only point has come from a 1-1 draw against FC St. Pauli; the other matches have ended in defeat, including several performances in which Hannover struggled to score.
The 0-2 loss to local rivals Eintracht Braunschweig was particularly painful. Derby defeats can carry consequences beyond the league table, especially for a club whose supporters expect a serious promotion challenge. With confidence low and the team short of momentum, Hannover’s next fixtures have taken on the feel of early-season tests rather than routine league games.
New signings and decision-making under scrutiny
Boldt’s recruitment is also being judged against the team’s immediate needs. Midfielder Marcel Hartel, winger Emir Sahiti and goalkeeper Pascal Loretz were among the arrivals expected to strengthen the squad, but their impact has not yet persuaded critics that Hannover have found the right balance.
A short holiday Boldt reportedly took shortly before the Braunschweig derby is also said to have frustrated members of the supervisory board. In a crisis, even decisions away from the pitch can become symbols of wider concerns about leadership, timing and accountability.
For fans, the latest turmoil comes after a series of changes in the club’s sporting structure. Titz’s dismissal, the lack of a new-manager bounce and the team’s slide down the standings have all contributed to a sense that Hannover’s season is drifting away from its original ambition.
Could Sandro Wagner also lose his job?
Boldt’s reported departure may have direct implications for Wagner. The two men have publicly presented a united front, and Boldt previously gave the coach a firm endorsement in an interview with NDR. Asked whether he planned to continue backing Wagner, Boldt replied: “As long as I’m here, definitely.”
If Boldt is no longer at the club, that statement may offer little protection. A new sporting leadership could reassess the coaching position, particularly if results do not improve quickly. Wagner has managed only a short period at Hannover, but the club’s league position means patience is likely to be limited.
After the derby loss, Wagner said the team had lost some of its lightness and suggested that damage from the previous season was still affecting the squad. Boldt had also pointed to a longer-running problem, saying Hannover had won too few matches since March and had at times lacked leadership. Those explanations may describe genuine issues, but they also underline the challenge facing whoever leads the club through the current crisis: rebuilding confidence while earning points.
A difficult history behind the current turmoil
Hannover’s problems did not begin with this season’s poor results. For much of the previous campaign, the club remained in the promotion race under Titz. However, they won only three of their final 10 league matches from March onward, drawing six and losing one. That downturn allowed Elversberg, Schalke and Paderborn to move ahead.
Off-field instability followed. Sporting director Marcus Mann left for RB Salzburg around the turn of the year, and Jörg Schmadtke returned to Hannover, where he had previously worked from 2009 to 2013. Schmadtke’s second spell lasted only three months: he resigned unexpectedly in March.
Reports at the time said Schmadtke had been critical of Titz and had considered replacing him. He was also said to have clashed with shareholder Gregor Baum over a proposed increase to the personnel budget. Boldt later addressed the coaching issue by appointing Wagner, but the latest results have once again placed the club’s leadership structure under pressure.
Wagner arrived with a strong reputation after working as an assistant to Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann. However, his first head-coaching role at FC Augsburg ended after 14 competitive matches, with the team averaging 0.93 points per game. His appointment at Hannover was viewed as a bold choice, but the current run has renewed doubts about whether he can deliver the turnaround the club needs.
Relegation fears and a crucial match against Dynamo Dresden
Hannover’s immediate concern is avoiding a prolonged fight for survival. Club patron Martin Kind made the stakes clear in comments to Bild, saying the club “must not be relegated” and that he could not accept such an outcome after decades of work.
The next league match against Dynamo Dresden could prove significant. Dresden are also on eight points and sit just above Hannover, making the contest a direct meeting between sides under pressure. Unlike Hannover, however, Dynamo enter the fixture with a confidence boost after beating Bundesliga side Schalke 04 in the DFB Cup.
That contrast adds extra weight to the match. A win could give Hannover a platform to steady the season; another defeat would deepen the sense of crisis and intensify calls for further changes. Any football prediction for the game is complicated by the uncertainty surrounding Hannover’s leadership, but home advantage and the urgency of the situation may make their response as important as their tactics.
For now, the club faces two connected questions: whether Boldt’s departure will be confirmed and whether Wagner will be given enough time to turn results around. Hannover’s promotion hopes have faded, but the season is still young enough for a recovery. To make one, the team will need more than a change in the boardroom—it will need points, goals and a clear plan capable of restoring belief among players and supporters alike.
