“Alexander Nouri has shown in recent weeks that he can work well with the team and has already achieved a lot with them. We’ve decided that he deserves the chance to continue on this path,” explained sporting director Frank Baumann. Baumann had been exploring other options in recent weeks, but added that “we were unable to find a candidate who was more of a complete package than Alexander Nouri.”

Frank Baumann discussed the recruitment process further on Sunday: “We never explicitly stated that we were looking for an experienced head coach. We’re fully aware of the fact that Alexander Nouri and his staff work well together, although obviously they can’t guarantee us success at this point. We felt that Alexander Nouri offered the best overall package currently. Sometimes in football you have to follow your gut feeling and that is what we have done in this instance. We didn’t want to let this opportunity slip away.”

Nouri, who was made aware of his appointment on Sunday morning, is delighted with the news. “It’s a great challenge but we’ll work together as a unit in order to be successful. We have a good squad, great coaches and staff that ensure things run perfectly. The facilities are excellent too. I’m looking forward to it.”