Michael Wimmer: Motherwell appoint former Austria Vienna manager as Stuart Kettlewell replacement
Michael Wimmer replaces Stuart Kettlewell who resigned last month; the 44-year-old formerly coached Austria Vienna and has been granted a work permit to start work at Fir Park; the Steelmen sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership and are without a win since January 5
Tuesday 18 February 2025 17:02, UK
Motherwell have appointed former Austria Vienna boss Michael Wimmer as their new manager.
The 44-year-old left the Generali Arena last year and was previously assistant at Stuttgart and Augsburg.
He replaces Stuart Kettlewell following his resignation last month, blaming the personal abuse he had received during a poor run of form, despite sitting fifth in the Premiership.
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The Steelmen have now dropped to eighth following Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Ross County at Fir Park.
Wimmer, who will be assisted by Ahmet Koc, said: "I want that we play proactive football, try to be dominant also and have high ball wins."
"My building blocks are from control, dynamism and to be goal-oriented. I want to bring energy into the club, have many duels and energy and atmosphere also with the fans.
"I think it's a traditional club and a traditional club needs intensity.
"I think it's important now to get my playing style, my ideas into the club and also to find the balance because it's the end before the table is split. So it's also very important that we are successful, that we get points because I want to reach the top six.
"I think if you see the table from place three to place 11, there are only 11 points between them and so the table is very tight and everything is possible.
"The next aim is to implement my idea, slowly, but bring it into the club, bring it into the team and to achieve the top-six place."
Motherwell chief executive Brain Caldwell added: "The executive board feel like Michael Wimmer and Ahmet Koc will be excellent additions to the football club.
"It has been a long road to get to this point but we felt taking our time and ensuring the data all matches up with what we wanted was crucial.
"They have a history of nurturing young players, which stems from their work in a top academy setup in Germany. They have known each other for 13 years so they are really connected and have a strong working relationship.
"Coming from Germany, they are well acquainted with fan culture and fan ownership. We also feel this is a major positive as it's a significant factor around this football club. We're proud to be fan-owned and community-driven. Michael and Ahmet will have a complete understanding of this."
