Quick hits

By: Chris | June 3rd, 2009

Quick news bites to fill the start of the offseason . . .

•Winter transfer flops Marcel Ndjeng, Albert Streit, Michael Gravgaard, and Khalid Sinouh were all returned to their respective loaning sides without renewal of the loan deals or a purchase. Good riddance, especially Streit. Personally, I think they would have kept Gravgaard had Nantes set his price a little lower than €3million.

•Speculation continues to swirl regarding the vacant trainer’s position. The latest gossip has leading candidate Bruno Labbadia meeting with Leverkusen management yesterday to close the books on Bayer 04’s campaign. To say that Labbadia has had a strained relationship with Leverkusen management would be an understatement, and thus could be out of work as soon as this week, opening the door to a move to HSV. While I am a fan of Bruno’s time with HSV as a player, I am not a big admirer of his as a manager.

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE . . .

If Labbadia doesn’t make a move, Mirko Slomka, ex of Schalke is still in the running, but the really big news is a new candidate that is the best name I’ve seen yet. Who is this mystery man? It’s Lulu–Lucien Favre of Hertha. NOW we’re TALKING. Lulu is under contract until 2011 and his manager is saying all the right things at this time like we haven’t been contacted by anyone and Lulu remains committed to Hertha–you get the idea. The Hamburg Mopo wonders whether the return of Andrei Voronin to Liverpool the Scousers and Marko Pantelic to anybody and the fact that Hertha just cut Lulu’s transfer war chest from €15million to €5million. Abby over at the Hertha Offside doesn’t begrudge Favre for looking around after being expected to improve on this season past with fewer tools at this disposal.

And finally . . .

•Horst Hrubesch is no longer (and likely never was seriously) in the running for the job, but he is leading the German U21’s to the U21 European Championships later this month. Among his players are current HSV’ers Dennis Aogo (recent Hamburg Offside 2009 Most Promising Youngster award winner) and Jerome Boateng. Horst is looking for a clean-sweep of Euros this year for the German youth teams–the U17’s and the U19’s are the current Euro holders.

Check back here for regular updates on the manager search.