Flensburg coach extends contract

The SG Flensburg management had a problem in recent weeks. Whenever sports director Anders Dahl-Nielsen or team manager Fynn Holpert tried to talk about the future of a player, they were asked a question that they could not answer: “Who will be the coach of Flensburg next year?”

The secret has been revealed yesterday: “We opt for continuity and trust,” said Fynn Holpert and he announced the club prolonged contract with Kent-Harry Andersson.

The 58-year old Swedish, who joined SG from Nordhorn in 2003 and led the North-German team to German title right away, will stay with the club until 30 June 2010 – two years more than originally planned.

Quite a surprising development. When Kent-Harry Andersson prolonged his contract in March 2006 until 2008, he wanted to end his career in style in the Swedish national team. In the summer of 2006, the doctors diagnosed brain cancer for the coach. Not even one year later, he was back with all his energy again.

“We wanted to prolong already this year with him,” said Anders Dahl-Nielsen. Kent-Harry Andersson needed some more time to make a decision: "In case half of the team would not have wanted it, I would have quitted.”

The team of the future

The management set out a signal and hope that they will have more signed contracts in the coming weeks. The contracts of Lars Christiansen, Frank von Behren, Ljubomir Vranjes, Sören Stryger, Johnny Jensen, Torge Johannsen, Anders Eggert and Michael Knudsen will expire.

In addition, a move by Marcin Lijewski to Hamburg is also possible. Flensbrug are trying to replace the Polish left-handed player by Holger Glandorf (HSG Nordhorn) who matured to become a national player under the care of Kent-Harry Andersson.

In 2010 summer the Bundesliga chapter will close finally for Andersson: “It will be enough then. I would like to have a national team – that would be a nice way to end my coaching career,” said the Swedish.